The Game Of Love
by BallroomBlitz
Summary: She hated him. He loved her. She was quiet and studious. He was loud and cocky. They were polar opposites, it could never work. She always had and always would hate him. But, as the saying goes, there’s always a fine line between love and hate…
1. The Jock

**Title:** The Game of Love

**Summary: **She hated him. He loved her. She was quiet and studious. He was loud and cocky. They were polar opposites, it could never work. She always had and always would hate him. But, as the saying goes, there's always a fine line between love and hate…

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Kingdom Hearts but I do own this story.

**Author's Note:** Hello readers! This is my first Kingdom Hearts story so take it easy on me. Kairi and Sora are both seventeen in this story and are in the beginning of their junior year. Read and Review. Enjoy!

**Chapter One: ****The Jock**

"But you…we… I thought everything was going great…" Tears welled up in her eyes, and began to cascade down her face, sapphire blue eyes shimmering with liquid.

"Yeah… Well…" He shrugged nonchalantly. "It was great… for a while but you know…I've just, changed, that's all." The girl's face became more blotchy as she cried, the sorrow more prominent than before until he put up hands his. "It's not you though… You were amazing, really…" That same old charming smile that could get any girl to melt into a puddle appeared on his face. "And you're beautiful… It's me. Because, I just… Well, we aren't meant for each other… It's time to move on." He offered a sympathetic smile before he turned to let the girl sob alone.

"Sora Daniels! You said… you loved me." No one would know what she said though as she blubbered incoherently and burst into a fresh set of tears.

The redhead watched the one known as Sora walk away in disgust. The hottest jock… But also the school player. That was Daniels… She figured girls should really learn. Every girl in the school knew what he was like and what he eventually did but they always lined up to date him and always came back for more. "Kairi!"

She turned to see her best friends, Selphie and Roxas coming towards her.

"Hey guys." Kairi said, turning to her locker to grab her books.

"Hey," Roxas replied, eyeing the still sobbing girl down the hall. "Daniels?" Roxas asked, gesturing his head towards the girl.

"Of course." Kairi said rolling her eyes, "Who else?" She pulled out a folder, searching through the papers inside.

"So he's back on the market again?" Selphie asked, excitement lit in her eyes.

"Oh god Selphie not you too!" Kairi groaned. "You can't seriously like that jerk."

"I don't. Well at least not really. I'd never date him but… you have to admit he's really cute." She gushed.

"No he's not." Kairi said, "He's an arrogant, rude, narcissist, player." She paused before adding, "And annoying too."

"Gee Kairi, tell us how you really feel about the guy." Roxas said jokingly, shaking his head slightly.

"You so like him Kairi." Selphie said, ignoring Roxas, a sly grin forming on her face. "And he so likes you too. He flirts with you all the time."

"Please," Kairi said, slamming her locker shut. "I'd never go out with him. In fact, I'd shoot myself before ever dating a guy like Sora Daniels. It would only lead to heartache. And besides, I'm nothing but a game to him. A challenge. I'm probably the first girl who's ever rejected him."

"Well," Selphie said, "I think you guys would make the perfect couple."

Shaking her head and muttering something under her breath, she looked up to see Olette Philips walk past her.

"Olette!" She exclaimed, walking a few feet towards her. "Here are the notes you wanted for math." She handed the girl a notebook, "Just make sure to get them back to me by the end of the day."

"Oh thanks Kairi." She said, relief on her face, "Not having those notes would have been hell. I'll get them back to you in a few hours. Thanks again."

"No problem." Kairi said smiling before turning towards her friends. As Olette walked away, Kairi and Selphie saw Roxas watch after her, a small goofy smile on his face.

Selphie grinned and opened her mouth to know doubt tease Roxas but Kairi quickly cleared her throat, trying to save Roxas from the embarrassment. As her friends turned towards her the bell ran.

"Ready to go?" She asked.

Nodding, they followed Kairi down the hall to their science class, Kairi pausing midway to help someone pick up a few books they had scattered all over the floor. Selphie talked nonstop about Kairi and Sora the whole way their.

"Okay enough Selphie." Kairi said irritated, as Selphie ranted on about how cute their kids would look.

"Okay." Selphie said, "I'll speak of it no more."

"Thank you." Kairi said gratefully, sinking down into a seat on the far right side of the room before taking out her notebook and pen, ready to work at a moments notice. Roxas took the seat behind her while Selphie occupied the chair next to her. Kairi was a straight A student, that's how she had gotten into the school. Destiny Islands had a few normal high schools but only one prep school, St. Caspian's, which was extremely hard to get into. She had worked her butt off for three years and had finally received a scholarship.

It was her second year attending the prep school and she loved it. She had first came to the school when she was a sophomore a little over a year ago. She was now a junior. Kairi was different from most of the students who went to the school though. A lot (but not all) were stuck up, rich students who only stayed with their own cliques. Even with all of the bad grades they got, they still managed to stay at the school because of Mommy and Daddy's money. Thankfully she had found Selphie and Roxas, who had also received scholarships to the school and immediately clicked with them. Outside of a few people in the school other than her two best friends, she wasn't the most social person around. She was the quiet one. The smart one. And the nice one. So thankfully, she got along with almost all of her peers and was left alone.

The class slowly filled and five minutes later the final bell rang signaling class had begun.

"Hello everyone." The science teacher, Mr. Hobart said, coming out of his office from the back of the room. Mr. Hobart was an older man in his late fifties. He had white hair covering most of his slightly balding head and a white beard to match. He was slightly chubby and had more of a beer gut than anything. He was a nice teacher but completely oblivious to anything that went on in the class when he wasn't looking. He didn't have the greatest hearing either.

There were a few muttered hellos in return, scattered throughout the classroom as he made his way to the front.

"Ah yes let's see," Mr. Hobart said, picking up the list of first hour students. "Let's take attendance shall we?" He spoke to himself in a cheerful voice, reading down the list of names, marking his paper here and there at a missing student.

"Well class, today we'll be continuing the video on the…" He paused, looking at the student who had just entered the room. The teen had spiky brown hair that stuck up in all different directions. His eyes were a deep blue, like the ocean on a stormy day. He wore the standard school uniform for the boys: a crisp white, button up t-shirt with a black tie, dark blue slacks and a matching blazer. His tie was loose as if it had been pulled at, while his blazer looked as though it had been hazardously thrown on. There was no doubt in anyone's mind where he had been…

"Mr. Daniels." Mr. Hobart said in a rarely used stern and disapproving voice, "Late again."

"Ah Mr. Hobart," Sora said, leaning against the doorway, crossing his arms. "What are you talking about? Me? Late? Never happens." He scoffed, looking at the teacher. "I arrived precisely when I meant to."

Heaving a sigh he merely pointed towards the class, "Take a seat."

"Gladly." He said, giving Mr. Hobart his most charming smile before taking an empty seat in the back of the room.

"As I was saying…" Mr. Hobart continued before Kairi felt a tap on her shoulder. Turning in her seat slightly, she looked back at Roxas.

"Yeah?" She whispered.

"Where do you think he's been?" Roxas asked jokingly.

Kairi quickly glanced at Sora, seeing him joke around with his friends in the back. She scanned his wrinkled attire quickly before looking back at Roxas.

"Ugh, I don't want to think about it."

Roxas chuckled slightly, knowing how much Kairi disliked Sora and anything having to do with the jock.

"Who do you think…"

"Mr. Fenton." Mr. Hobart said, looking towards the two of them.

Roxas whipped his head up at hearing his name while Kairi immediately faced the front of the class.

"Are you quite finished?"

"Err… Sorry Sir."

"Yes, well," Mr. Hobart said, looking around the classroom. "Please change seats with Mr. Daniels. Maybe if you're separated from your friends you'll pay attention."

Kairi slumped in her chair, looking up at Roxas to see his apologetic expression. She quickly looked back at Sora to see him already making his way towards her, throwing her his attractive grin.

"Hi love." Sora said, slipping into the seat behind her.

Kairi merely glared at him and turned back around in her seat, resting her chin in her hands and sighing. It was going to be a long forty five minutes.

--

Kairi pulled at her locker, hitting it occasionally. The stupid thing wouldn't open. The day had worn on and on and after eight hours of school Kairi was ready to go home. Just as she jiggled the lock up a hard pound against the locker next to her caused the lock to slip back down.

Aggravated, she looked up to see ocean blue eyes staring back at her, a spark in them that, if she took the time to notice, only lit up around her.

"What do you want?" She said grumpily, turning back to her locker.

"Nothing love." He said, grinning at her. He was leaning his body towards the lockers, his right hand extended, propping him up, while he crossed one foot over the other in a casual sort of way.

"Ugh, don't start Sora. I'm really not in the mood." She said, once again working on her locker.

"Me? Start anything? I only wanted to talk."

"Well I don't, so go away."

"Ah, you hurt me Kairi." Sora said, putting his hand over his heart in mock pain, "Why don't you like me?"

"Because you never leave me alone." Kairi said, tugging harder at her locker before feeling a sharp pain. Quickly pulling her finger out of the lock, she massaged it.

"Need help?" He asked, giving her a teasing look.

"No." She said. Sighing she turned to him, "What do you want Sora?"

"You." He said, running a hand through his hair in what she supposed he thought was irresistible to all girls.

Rolling her eyes she turned back to her locker, finally managing to open it.

"Really Kairi, I want you. I want you and me to go out tonight, what do you say?"

"No. Same answer as last time, and the time before that, and the time before that."

He stood up straight and moved a bit closer to her. "It's only a matter of time before you give in to your desires, so why don't you just stop resisting me and accept it now? It would make things a whole lot more fun for the both of us."

Pulling her full bag out of her locker she slammed it shut with a loud bang!

"This is why I don't like you!" She said angrily, shooting daggers at him, "You're the most arrogant and annoying person I know. You're rude, a complete and total jerk and you aren't even nice. I can count on one hand the number of times you've actually been nice to me, and we've known each other for almost two years! You just won't leave me alone. Can't you take a hint or brutally honesty? I don't want to date you, I never will date you, so just give it up already and leave me alone!" She nearly yelled the last part before slinging her bag over her shoulder, storming off towards the front doors of the school. She hadn't looked back to see the hurt expression on his face before he quickly hid it and stood up. He glanced around at the surrounding students, who had been looking on in interest.

"She wants me."

--

"Mom, I'm home." Kairi yelled into the small home.

Their house was small but very cozy. They had an entry way that led to the left and the right with a staircase in between that lead to the second floor where her mother's room and another bathroom was. To the left was the living room where they had a couch and a T.V. with dozens of little knickknacks all over the place. To the right was the downstairs bathroom, her room and the kitchen.

They lived on a vastly different island other than the mainland where Kairi went to school. It was really the only other inhabited island of Destiny Islands. Most of the other islands were bought by resorts or run by fishing companies. The mainland is were most of the rich people lived. It was fast paced and very populated. It had the fancy restaurants the good shopping malls, the flashing lights… anything you wanted to do for fun, you could find there. The island they lived on was by far less populated and was mostly inhabited by the working class. It was a very friendly place where nearly everyone knew one another. It had a local restaurant, bar, bowling alley, grocery store, ice cream shop and a few other knickknacks stores. It also had the best beaches out of all of the islands in the area. Kairi sometimes wished she lived on the mainland but the thought always vanished the second she stepped foot on this island. She wouldn't trade it for the world.

"Kairi? I'm in the kitchen hon."

Kairi lugged her heavy book bag into the kitchen, resting it on her doorway.

"How was your day?" Kairi's mother, Jayna asked. She was sitting at the kitchen table cutting out coupons from a newspaper.

Jayna was extremely beautiful, it was obvious Kairi got her looks from her. She too had flowing red hair that reached just past her shoulder blades. She had chocolate brown eyes that held warmth and excitement. Her mother was never one to be bored. She had a pretty simple life but she made it exciting.

Jayna was younger than most mothers Kairi's friends had, she was thirty four. She had gotten pregnant with Kairi when she was seventeen and raised her all by herself. Her dad, Reks, was never really a big part of her life. He had proposed to Jayna when she had told him she was pregnant but she had refused… she wouldn't marry someone just because it was the "right thing" to do. She wanted to be with someone she loved and even though she had cared about Reks, Jayna knew she didn't love him and had taken Kairi and moved to Destiny Islands to raise her by herself. It was hard but the bond that had been formed between Kairi and Jayna because only the two of them lived together was unbreakable. Jayna was Kairi's best friend and vise versa.

As for Kairi's relationship with her father… She had always hoped that one day he'd actually come around instead of just calling on holidays, sending presents and seeing her only a few times a year. But, that would never happen now. Kairi's dad had gone into a coma a few years ago and the doctor's figured he'd most likely never wake up. She regretted never having that close relationship with her father but she didn't really like to think about it much. She had her mom. That's all she ever really had and as much as she loved her dad, her mom was all she needed.

"Awful."

"Aw why's that?" Jayna asked, putting down the scissors and looking at her daughter questioningly.

"Sora."

"Ah." Her mother said knowingly. She had been told all about Sora Daniels, the boy who just wouldn't stop annoying her daughter. "What'd he do now?"

"Nothing specific." Kairi said, grabbing a drink from the fridge before sitting again, "Just being him. He won't stop asking me out."

"Honey, have you ever thought that this boy might actually like you?"

"Trust me mom, he doesn't." She took a long swig from the glass before melting into the chair, all of the stress from today slowly seeping out of her. "I'm just a game to him. A joke with his buddies. We're too different for him to really like me. He's rich, popular, a jock, arrogant, not the nicest to people and dates girls who are easy, not the brightest, or preppy. Ones that fall at his feet. And me? I'm well, more quiet… and shy. We don't drive fancy cars, I couldn't play a sport for the life of me and well, I know I'm way nicer than he is that's for sure. I love studying and reading, he likes messing around. We're polar opposites."

"Well you know what they say, opposites attract."

"Mom…" Kairi whined, letting her head fall to the table with a loud _thump_.

"Okay okay." Jayna said, getting up from her chair. She pulled at her daughter's arm, forcing her to get up. "I know what'll make you feel tons better."

"What's that?" She asked, yawning loudly and stretching, hearing a few bones crack.

Her mother winced at the noise. "Let's go to Topher's."

Kairi quickly turned to her mother and gave her a wide grin.

"Let's go."

--

**Author's Note:** Like it? Hate it? Tell me what you think. Hope you enjoyed the chapter, I'll update again soon! Remember to **review!**


	2. Partners

**Chapter Two: Partners**

"Topher!" Her mother yelled as they walked into the small restaurant a few blocks from their home. Topher's Place was their usual hangout. It was a place everyone went to eat and relax and to enjoy the company they brought with them.

The atmosphere of the place was what made it great. There was always a positive energy throughout the small restaurant that turned your worst day into something better. Inside, the walls were painted a light green with dark oak wood used for the tables and counter. To the right of the place was the long counter you could sit at and to the left were a number of tables scattered across the room. A dull light illuminated the room with help from the windows, making the place great for deep conversation. Outside the shop, was a big yellow sign with the words 'Topher's Place' scrawled across it in red paint.

Kairi and her mother marched up to the counter, saying hello to a few people they knew who were seated at the tables before sitting on the barstools.

"Topher!" Jayna cried again, impatiently drumming her fingers on the counter.

"What?" The man, Topher, called out from the back room.

"I'm hungry, come feed us."

"I'll be there in a minute."

"But we're hungry now!"

"I said a minute. Be patient."

Heaving a sigh, she turned towards her daughter who was listening on in amusement.

"So, what are you going to do about this boy?"

Kairi shrugged her shoulders. "Nothing, just ignore him, like I've always done."

"Uh-huh, because that's working so well right?"

"Mom." Kairi warned, glaring at her mother.

"Okay okay. So you'll just keep ignoring him?"

"Yep."

"Huh." Jayna said, staring into the air deep in thought.

After a few moments of silence Jayna exclaimed, "I got it!"

"Got what?"

"An idea to your boy troubles."

"I do not have boy troubles. It's one boy and he's just annoying."

"Right." Her mom said, "Anyways, you could go out with him."

"What!?" Kairi exclaimed, gaping at her mother. "Did you not pick up that I don't like him?"

"I know, I know." Jayna said, waving a hand in the air impatiently, as if that fact wasn't important. "But you could agree to go out with him, one date, on the condition that if you do, he'll never ask you out again and leave you alone." She smiled excitedly at her daughter, delighted she had come up with such a brilliant plan.

Kairi simply stared at her mother.

"What?" Jayna asked.

"Mom," Kairi said, looking at her mother in disbelief, "That's the stupidest idea I've ever heard."

"What?" Jayna asked, pretending to be offended, "Why?"

Kairi shook her head, "Because, I don't want to date him. That means I'd have to spend hours alone with him, hearing him go on and on about how great he is."

"Beats having him bugging you for the rest of your time in high school doesn't it?"

Kairi had nothing to say to that. If she were truthful, it was actually a pretty appealing trade off but she quickly decided against it. She completely detested Sora and she'd never give him the satisfaction of going out with him on a date.

Jayna was about to open her mouth to badger her daughter some more about her brilliant idea when a man in his mid thirty's came to stand opposite them behind the counter. It was Topher. He had slightly messy, short, brown hair. He wore navy blue jeans with sneakers and a white, long sleeve, button up shirt with thin, light blue stripes running vertically on it. He had the sleeves rolled up past his elbows, a pen and a pad of paper in his hand. Topher had been a big part of Kairi's life. He was always the father she never had. When Reks wasn't there for her (which was most of the time, he had his own things going on), Topher was. He always came to school functions or birthdays… anything that was important to her, he was there.

"What do you want to eat?"

"Oh," Jayna said, looking a little sheepish, "I don't know yet."

"But," Topher said exasperated, "You called me over here to get you food."

"I know, but well I figured it would take you at least ten minutes to get over here so I would have had that time to think, my timing was off."

"So you're not ready?"

"No not yet."

He stared at Jayna in irritation for a moment before he turned to Kairi.

"Hi Kairi." He said warmly to her.

"Hey Topher."

"What would you like to eat?" He asked, ignoring Jayna's 'Hey why aren't you that nice to me?'

"I'll have an order of chicken strips and some chili cheese fries, with a chocolate malt and coffee."

"You have worse eating habits than your mother."

"I know." Kairi said, giving him a wide grin. "Thanks."

Shaking his head, Topher turned around and walked back to the kitchen but stopped as he heard Jayna call out his name.

"Topher?"

"Yeah?"

"I was just kidding before. A hamburger, fries and a large coffee please."

"Alright, coming right up." Topher said before returning to the kitchen to cook up their food.

Jayna turned with a grin to her daughter.

"I love bothering him." She laughed, happy she had irritated Topher once again.

"Why don't you two just go out and get it over with?"

"Because it's more fun this way."

"You're weird." Kairi muttered under her breath.

"Besides," Jayna continued with an afterthought, "I don't think we're at the dating point of our relationship yet."

"You've known him for six years!"

"Yeah, well…" her mother trailed off, wanting to change the subject.

--

"Alright everyone, settle down, settle down. Please take your seats." Mr. Hobart yelled to the rambunctious class. After a few minutes the classroom finally organized with everyone in their seats and minimum talking.

"Okay." He started, looking over the class. "Today you're going to be starting your big science project for the year." A collective groan rang out across the classroom. "Settle down, listen please." Mr. Hobart said, waiting for the class to quiet down. "Now as I told you at the beginning of this year, this science project is the most important project you'll be doing in my class this year. The objective is pretty simple. You are to do a research project on anything you'd like but it must be approved by me first. You are to thoroughly research whatever your topic is and perform a presentation and an experiment in front of the class. This project will be due in one month. We'll be spending a lot of, but not all, class time working on this project. It will count for a quarter of your grade so I suggest you all do a good job and use your time in class wisely or I'll most likely be seeing most of you in summer school." He paused to take a deep breath before continuing, "Any questions?"

One student in the front row raised their hand.

"Yes, Miss. Ralch?"

"Do we get to have partners for this project?"

"Oh!" Mr. Hobart exclaimed, "That's right, thank you for reminding me. Yes, you all will get to have partners for this project." Many grins spread across the student's faces as they leaned next to their friends to partner up. "But I'll be picking your partners for you." There was yet another groan as most students slumped in their seat.

"Alright now let me find it… ah yes here we go." Mr. Hobart said, grabbing a piece of paper from his desk. "Alright listen up class. I'll be reading off your groups so listen carefully." He glance down at the list and started, "Mr. Richards, you'll be working with Miss. Cleary. Mr. Willis, you'll be working with Mr. Parks." He continued down the list while the people in the class high-fived the partners that they wanted or glared at the ones they hadn't. "Mr. Fenton, you'll be working with Miss Cole." Her two friends beside her said a quiet 'yes' before giving Kairi a sympathetic smile.

"Sorry Kairi." Selphie said.

"It's okay," Kairi said shrugging her shoulders, "At least you two get to be together."

As Mr. Hobart continued down the list the number of leftover student got smaller and smaller. Kairi looked around the classroom at her potential partners, her name still having not been called. There were about eight kids left, all of whom she'd be fine working with, except…

_'Oh no.'_ Kairi thought, seeing Daniels sitting by himself in the back. His name hadn't been called yet either.

_'God, please don't partner me with him.'_

"Miss. Knight." Kairi's ears perked up at her name as she closed her eyes and crossed her fingers, using all the willpower she had not to be partnered up with Sora.

_'Please not him, please not him.'_

"You'll be working with Mr. Daniels."

Kairi groaned.

She felt Roxas put his hand on her shoulder, "Sorry Kairi. Better luck next time?"

She growled at him, shrugging off his hand.

"Alright, everyone get together with your partner and start brainstorming on what you would like to do."

"Bye Kairi, we'll see you after class okay?" Selphie said, smiling at Kairi.

"Yeah bye." She said grumpily, glaring hard at her desk.

A few moments after her friends left she felt, rather than saw, someone slip into the seat beside her.

"See Kairi, we're destined to be together. Why fight fate?"

She ignored him, grabbing her notebook and pencil before addressing him.

"What do you want to do?"

"Well," he said in a slightly seductive voice, "I can think of plenty of things I, or should I say, we could do…"

"Ugh, knock it off. What do you want to do _for our project_?"

"Oh, see if you would have specified what you were talking about…"

"Forget it. Just sit there, leave me alone and I'll do the project myself. You'll get your A and you don't have to do any work."

"Alright, sorry. I'll stop." He said, being serious for once. "As for the project I was thinking we could do something on lying."

"Lying?" Kairi asked, completely confused.

"Yeah, like how to tell if people are lying. And we could look up things on lie detectors and why they didn't work and then we could build a small one for out experiment and pick people in the class to use it on. Come on you have to admit that would be cool."

Kairi sat thinking for a moment. The idea wasn't half bad. It would definitely be different from what everyone else in the class would most likely do.

"Alright." Kairi said, giving him a tiny smile. "We'll do that."

"Really?" Sora asked, slightly shocked.

"Yeah, it's a good idea. And it would be interesting to do. We'd get a good grade on it." She wrote down the idea on her notebook before saying, "A good idea from Sora Daniels. What is the world coming to?"

"Yeah," Sora said cockily, leaning back in his chair, crossing his hands behind him head, "I'm full of all sorts of good ideas."

"Yeah," Kairi snorted, "Like breaking into the headmaster's office and trying to steal the answers to the tenth grade exams last year…"

"Hey," Sora said, sitting up a little straighter, a small blush on his cheeks, "It was a good idea. In my defense, we never would have gotten caught if Hayner hadn't turned on the damn light for the janitor to see."

Shaking her head, Kairi said, "You shouldn't have done it to being with. I've seen the grades you get on your tests, the ones you do at least. You didn't need the answers, you would have done just fine. If you would just apply yourself…"

"Yes _mother_." Sora interrupted.

Rolling her eyes, Kairi continued, "Why'd you do it to begin with?"

"Cause that's the kind of rebel I am." A sly smile came to his face, "I'm a bad boy Kairi, you should punish me."

She rolled her eyes. "See this is why we don't get along. The second we start to have a normal conversation, you go and do that."

"Do what?" Sora said defensively but there was a teasing glint in his eye.

"You go and get all… perverted with the sexual innuendos. Then go on acting like you're God's gift to women, just because a few girls like you…"

"All the girl in this school like me."

She laughed a bit coolly at that. "I don't."

Sora grew silent, looking dejectedly away from Kairi. Kairi though, merely took this act as him hurting over his bruised ego and continued with the conversation from before, not having seen his expression.

"So I think I'll do the research on how to tell if people are lying and the lie detectors. You just build the lie detector. When we're in class we can both look up info on my stuff but you just do the lie detector when you're at home."

"Alright." Sora said, nonchalantly.

"That okay? Or do you want to do something else?"

"I'll do whatever."

At his rather flippant tone, she sighed, "Can I trust you to do this or not?"

"What's that suppose to mean?" Sora asked, offended.

"Well… It's just, you don't have the greatest track record at, you know, doing you're homework on time…"

"I'll get it done on my own just fine." He snapped, in a slightly angry tone that confused Kairi. What was he so angry about?

"Okay, um, I'll go tell Mr. Hobart our idea." Kairi said, looking at Sora strangely one last time before walking back to the teacher's office.

--

Kairi walked out of the science classroom after a bizarre class. Once she had returned from talking to Mr. Hobart, Sora had barely said a word to her, which was incredibly strange. She didn't understand what his problem was. That's another thing she didn't like about him. One minute he was a halfway decent guy and the next, he does a complete one eighty and acts totally different.

She was walking rather slow, lost in her own thoughts and therefore saw when Sora walked out of the classroom and off towards his now ex- girlfriend's locker, Yuffie Russell. He and Yuffie were the on-again off-again couple of their grade. They'd fight, break up, then two days later be found making out in the hall. She was the ice queen. She got horrible grades but her parent's donations to the school kept her from getting kicked out. She was incredibly stuck up and prissy to boot. Her short black hair, toned body with all the right curves and elegant features made her the most sought after girl in the grade.

"Hey." He said, standing rather close to her.

She glanced up at him coldly before turning away towards her locker.

"Wanna get out of here?" He asked, gesturing his head towards the exit.

She glanced at him again, looking him up and down. "Okay." She said, before making her way down the hall, nose up in the air while Sora followed right behind her.

What on earth did he see in that girl? He couldn't seriously be happy with her. Shaking her head she continued towards her locker. It was none of her concern. And besides, what did it matter to her? She didn't care who he dated.

--

**Author's Note:** Hey everyone. Hope you liked the new chapter. I'll update once I get a decent number of reviews. They're what keep me going with my story… keep me motivated I guess. So **review **and tell me what you think!


	3. Rumor

**Chapter Three: Rumor **

Kairi was sitting outside on a bench waiting for the bus. Because she lived on the other island, the school bus couldn't pick her up and drop her off. So she had to wait for the local bus to bring her to the ferry station then take the ferry to her island. From there she could walk home, it was only a few blocks away.

She was so immersed in her book, drinking her coffee that she hadn't heard the car pull up to the curb a few yards from her. She did however hear a car door slam and looked up to see Sora making his way towards her.

"Great," she muttered to herself, "Just who I wanted to see."

"What are you doing out here? So eager to get back into school you just wait out here all night?" Sora teased, standing a few feet in front of her.

"I'm waiting for the bus."

"Why?" He asked.

"Because I need it to get home."

"Why not take the school bus?"

"Because I live on the other island. I have to take the bus then the ferry and walk home."

"You live on the other island?" Sora asked. He had no idea she lived there.

"Yes why? Going to start stalking me at home too?"

"Yes." Sora said dryly. "That's exactly what I plan to do."

There was a brief moment of silence before, "You want a ride?"

"What?" Kairi said, looking up at him once more.

"Do. You. Want. A. Ride?" He said slower.

"To where?" Kairi asked, perplexed why he was asking her this.

"To the ferry station. Beats having to wait here fifteen minutes for the bus and another twenty to get to the station. And that's with no traffic."

"Me ride in a car with you?" Kairi said, disbelief on her face. "Uh… No thanks, I value my life way too much."

"What? I'm a safe driver."

She laughed, "Yeah, the way you zip in and out of the school parking lot has safety first plastered all over you."

He smirked, running his hand through his hair.

"So I take that as a no?"

"Yes."

"So you do want the ride?"

"No."

"But you just said yes."

"Oh my god." Kairi said, getting irritated at his relentless talking. "No. I don't want the ride. Thanks anyways. I'd much rather wait and take the bus."

Sora shrugged. "Okay, your loss. Have fun waiting forever." With that he walked inside the building, disappearing from her sight.

"Finally." She sighed, engaging herself once again in her book.

A half an hour later Kairi checked her watch for the twelfth time. Where was the bus? She sat tapping her foot on the pavement when Sora came strolling out of the building.

"You're still here? Didn't want to leave me huh? Had to see me again before you go?"

"Hardly," She scoffed. "I'm waiting for the bus."

"Still? Bet my offer's looking pretty nice right about now."

"No." She said shortly, glaring at him.

"Okay, well see you tomorrow."

She watched him walk away from her, opening his car door and getting in. Hearing him start the engine she checked her watch._ 3:20._ Her mom will be wondering where she is soon. She bit her lip and sighed. Just as the car started moving she jumped up.

"Daniels!" She yelled over the noise.

He rolled down the window and looked at her questioningly.

"I'll take the ride."

He smirked and she saw him pat the passenger seat. "Come on in."

She reluctantly opened the car door and got in, preparing herself for the uncomfortable ride to begin.

--

They sat in silence the whole way to the station, Kairi sitting awkwardly in her seat, wishing the car would move faster, while Sora drove, trying to think of something to say… but nothing came. Nothing that wouldn't make her mad at least.

He pulled up to the ferry station and turned off the car.

They sat in another silence for a few moments.

"There, that wasn't so bad was it?" Sora joked, smiling a true smile at her. Not a grin, not a smirk but a real smile that caught Kairi off guard.

"Err no. I suppose not."

They sat for a few more moments before Kairi opened the door.

"Uh, thanks for the ride."

"Anytime." Sora said as she got out of the car. He winked at her and sped out of the parking lot, the noise of his tires screeching loudly into the quiet air.

Staring at his retreating car, she pulled out her boating pass and headed towards the booth.

--

She trudged into her house, dropping her bag in the entryway before making her way into the living room and plopping onto the couch.

"Hey I was just about to call you, we've you been?" Her mother asked, joining her on the couch.

"Oh umm, the bus didn't show up."

"So how'd you get here?" Jayna asked, baffled.

"Oh, uh… I got a ride."

"From who?"

She sighed, knowing her mother would bombard her with questions.

"Sora."

Her mother's eyes widened.

"Really? He gave you a ride?"

"Yes." Kairi said simply before grabbing the remote and turning on the T.V.

"No way." Jayna said, grabbing the remote and turning the T.V. off, "We so have to talk about this."

"Talk about what? There's nothing to talk about."

"Uh-huh." Her mother said, an excited smile on her face. "So what, are you two dating now?"

"No!" Kairi said, turning to face her mother, "It was just a ride. I was sitting there, he offered, it was late, so I took it. There's nothing more to it than that."

"Oh." Jayna said a bit disappointed before she continued, "So he was actually being nice?"

"Surprisingly yes. I mean of course he still joked and flirted a bit but not as heavily as he normally does."

"Huh. Weird."

"Yeah, the whole ride there was nothing but awkward."

Her mother grinned at her, a devilish glint in her eye. "So when's the wedding?"

"Ugh, mom!"

"No really I mean, what are you going to name your kids?"

"Stop." Kairi pouted, heading towards her room.

"No I'm being serious. What if it's a girl huh? You'll name her after me of course right? Oh! If it's a boy will you name him Sora Jr.?" She snickered following Kairi.

"You're enjoying this way too much."

By now they had reached Kairi's doorway.

"Bye mother." Kairi said, sending a fake glare at her laughing mother before shutting the door.

--

She just opened the door to the school when Selphie came rushing up to her.

"Oh my God. I just heard. When where you playing on telling me?"

"Telling you what?"

"You know. About you and Sora." Selphie said, nearly bouncing with excitement.

"What about me and Sora?"

Selphie ignored her, "Oh I just knew you two would be totally perfect together."

"Selphie!" Kairi said louder to gain her friend's attention.

"What about me and Sora?"

"You're together!"

"What!?" Kairi yelled, causing a few students to look at them.

"The whole schools talking about it. You finally caved!"

"Selphie," Kairi said, confused and angry. "I'm not with Sora."

"What do you mean? You two went out last night."

Kairi was about to answer when Roxas came up to them.

"Hey I just heard. You're actually dating him? What happened to hating him?"

"There's a fine line between love and hate Roxas." Selphie gushed.

"Hey!" Kairi exclaimed, causing both of her friends to look at her. "I am not dating Sora Daniels. Where is this coming from?"

"I heard you two went out last night. On a date or something."

"I got a ride from him to the ferry station? That's a far cry from a date. "

"Oh, well, that's not what I heard." Selphie said in a sing song voice, not really believing Kairi.

Kairi's face turned instantly red as she stomped her foot and took off down the hall but not before hearing Selphie's last words to Roxas.

"She's in denial."

Kairi made her way through the people in the halls, embarrassed by the way everyone was staring at her. She hated being the center of attention. She looked through the crowd and found Sora, standing with a few of his buddies laughing.

"Daniels!" She called, jogging over to him before grabbing his arm and yanking him away from his friends.

"Hey!" Sora exclaimed, pulling his arm out of her grasp, "What gives?"

"What the hell did you do!?"

He was stunned momentarily at her language before being snapped out of it by her punch to his arm.

"Hey! What are you going on about? I didn't do anything."

"Right." Kairi laughed coldly, furious with him. "Just been telling the entire school we're dating."

"Kairi…" Sora started but she didn't let him finish.

"It was a _ride_ for Christ's sake Sora! It wasn't a date. The only reason I took it was because I didn't want my mom to worry."

"Kairi…"

"And now you go on and tell people we're dating, it's all around the damn school…" She whispered angrily, trying her hardest to restrain herself from strangling him.

"Kairi!" Sora yelled.

"What!?" She yelled back.

"I didn't tell anyone we're dating."

"Right." She spat.

"I didn't. Someone must have seen us or maybe word got out that I gave you a ride there and I don't know, it must have gotten out of control. I mean, come on Kairi, we're in high school. Rumors start all the time."

"And you're telling me you had nothing to do with it?" She asked skeptically, folding her arms across her chest.

"Yes."

Kairi stood glaring at him for a full minute, searching for any signs of lying but finding none.

"Err, okay." She said, glancing at all of the onlookers. "Well, I'll see you in class." She blushed profusely before bolting from the hall.

--

She sat in her desk, scribbling on her notebook while the other groups worked with their partners. Hers, however, wasn't there. '_Probably for the best.'_ She thought, chewing on her pen for a moment, thinking of what to write. _'He wouldn't have helped much anyways.'_ Just as she was about to ask Mr. Hobart a question, Sora came waltzing over, casually sitting in his seat.

"Where have you been?"

"In the hall."

"Class started nearly twenty minutes ago. We're partners Sora, you have to work too, you said you would."

"Chill Kairi," Sora said, holding up his hands, "We have four weeks to do this project, twenty minutes isn't going to make or break us."

"Well unlike you, I want to get a good grade."

"So do I. It's just not as important to me as it is to you. I don't like spending all of my time working, I like having fun too."

"I have fun." Kairi said indignantly.

"Sure you do, reading all those books must be just thrilling."

She glared at him, "Some of us are actually smart enough to enjoy picking up a book to read Daniels."

"Wow, tiger, retract the claws, I was just joking… sort of." At her glare he said, "You just read a lot of books. It must get boring sometimes."

"That's when I go out with my friends or watch movies or hang out with my mom. Just because I don't do the idiotic things you do to have fun, like going to parties all the time, egging the headmaster's car, racing my parents speedboat and having the police on my tail doesn't mean I don't have fun.

He wisely chose to say nothing in his defense, judging by how angry she was at him. "Well I know something you could do that would be fun."

"What?"

"Go out with me." He said, sending her a dazzling grin.

"You're unbelievable." She said, shaking her head in incredulity.

"I know I get that all the time. But probably not in the way you're meaning it."

She merely shook her head.

"Come on Kairi, go out with me. I promise you it would be a night you'll never forget." He said in a low, seductive voice, giving her a saucy grin.

"Daniels," Kairi began, looking at him, "We're two completely different people. The day I date you is the day hell will freeze over."

As Kairi went back to work, Sora frowned wondering how he could ever get the feisty redhead to go out with him.

--

The bell rang, signaling the end of the day. Kairi made her way down the hall towards her locker. As she approached it, she saw two people leaning against her locker making out.

"Nice." Kairi said, before uncomfortably making her way towards the two.

'_Sora and Yuffie, just fantastic. Yuck, out of all of the lockers in the school, why right on mine?'_

She stood next to the couple, seeing and hearing them swap spit before she cleared her throat.

She cleared it again.

And again…

"Excuse me?" She said loudly, making them break apart.

Sora looked at her irritated, "What? We're kind of busy."

"Yeah, on my locker."

"What?"

"You're on my locker." She said, pointing to the locker they were leaning against.

"Well can't you just come back in a few minutes?"

"It's my locker, can't you go round third base somewhere else? Maybe, your locker?" She snapped.

Yuffie nibbled on Sora's neck for a moment, causing Kairi to make a sickened face. "Let's go Sory." She took his hand and dragged him off. Sora looked back at Kairi once more before following Yuffie to a janitor's closet.

Kairi turned away from the pair and shuttered. That was something she could have lived without seeing. She looked at her locker, slightly repulsed by it now. Gingerly touching it like you would holding a baby's diaper, she undid the lock, threw her homework in her bag and took off down the hall to find Roxas and Selphie. Maybe she could convince one of them to trade lockers.

--

**Author's Note: **Hey everyone! Thanks a ton for all of the reviews, they help me get more motivated with my story, which in turn helps me update faster. **Review** and tell me how you like the story so far.


	4. Pep Rally

**Chapter Four: Pep Rally**

"So he was making out on your locker?" Selphie asked, stirring her malt.

Kairi, Roxas and Selphie were currently at Topher's, hanging out after school.

"Yes. It was completely disgusting." Kairi said, making a face.

"So then why did you watch?" Roxas asked, grinning.

"Ugh, I didn't watch. I mean I saw them but it wasn't like I stood there watching the two of them exchange saliva." She sighed resting her head on her arms. "Why my locker? Why not someone else's."

"Maybe he did it on purpose." Selphie said, sucking out the last of her malt through her straw.

"What do you mean? Why would he do it on purpose?"

"Oh come on Kairi." Selphie said, "You can't be that dense." At Kairi's blank look she continued, "He likes you! As much as you don't see it or don't want to believe it, he likes you. He wants to gain your attention. Any attention mind you, whether its good or bad, and making out on your locker is one way to get it, you can't miss him there."

"He doesn't like me Selphie."

"Err, sorry Kairi but I have to agree, he really does likes you."

"Then why is he such a jerk?

Roxas shrugged his shoulders, "Maybe he doesn't know how else to act? Some guys tease the girls they like Kairi and he teases the hell out of you. It's like in kindergarten. They pull the girl's hair, make fun of them, annoying them. Some guys don't grow out of that."

"But why wasn't he like that to anyone else he's dated then? Why doesn't he annoying the crap out of Yuffie?"

"Because he doesn't truly like them like he likes you. He's pining for you Kairi." Selphie said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Kairi shook her head, "You guys are crazy."

"Okay, don't believe us then." Selphie said standing up. "I've got to get going if I want to catch the next ferry. I'll see you at school tomorrow."

"Bye Selphie." Roxas and Kairi said, waving as she walked out of the place.

Selphie lived on the mainland while Roxas and Kairi lived on this island. Kairi had a closer connection to Roxas than she did with Selphie because they had gone to the same public high school together and had been friends before St. Caspian's. She had been pleasantly surprised though when she found that Roxas had also been accepted into the prep school. There they had both found Selphie and the trio had been formed.

Roxas was a shy but nice guy. Kairi and Selphie were really his only friends at the prep school because of how shy he is. But, he managed to maintain a friendship with a few guys from the local high school here.

Selphie on the other hand was extremely different from Roxas. She was outspoken and loved the gossip. While Roxas went with the flow, Selphie was a bit more high maintenance and somewhat overbearing at times. Her family had a bit more money than Roxas and Kairi's had but she still didn't have enough to get into the prep school so she had tried for the scholarship and got in. Despite her faults, Kairi and Roxas enjoyed her energetic personality and the cheerfulness she usually had.

"Roxas?"

"Yeah?" Roxas said through a mouthful of food.

"I didn't want to bring it up when Selphie was here because, well, she'd enjoy making fun of you too much but… I mean, you like Olette and you don't act that way towards her. In fact, you do the exact opposite. You blush and shy away every time she's near you."

Roxas blushed slightly. He was glad she didn't bring this up in front of Selphie, she would have enjoyed his embarrassment way too much.

He swallowed his mouthful of food, "Every guys different. I can't really explain to you why Daniels act the way he does. Each guy's just got their own way at doing things. It's just the way he is."

Kairi nodded, "I still don't think he likes me though. We're too different. I'm not his type."

"Maybe that's what he likes about you. You're different from the rest of those bimbos he's dated." Roxas said thoughtfully, before taking another bite of his burger.

Kairi sat thinking over what everyone had told her. If what they said was true, she would be incredibly depressed, she didn't want Daniels to like her. As she sat contemplation this, she saw her mom walk into the restaurant.

"Hey kid." Jayna said, walking over to the pair, "Roxas. How was school today guys?"

"Terrible." "Good." Came the two replies. Terrible, of course, coming from Kairi.

"Why was it terrible?"

Kairi just put her head in her hands and mumbled something unintelligible.

Jayna looked to Roxas for an explanation.

"Sora and his new-old girlfriend Yuffie were making out on her locker."

"Ah," Jayna said, with a knowing look, "So he _does_ like you."

"Would everyone _please_ stop saying that." Kairi whined, "He really doesn't like me."

"I believe you." Her mother said in a sarcastic voice, mirth shining in her eyes before walking over towards the counter to talk to Topher.

--

"Today you won't be having seventh, eighth, or ninth hour class. Instead, everyone will be attending the pep rally in the gym during those hours in celebration of the varsity football team's big game tonight against our rivals." Mr. Hobart announced to the class, earning a collective cheer from the students. In the back of the class, Sora received a few pats on the back. He was the quarterback and captain of the team, meaning he was their star player. Sora of course, reveled in the attention, soaking it up like a sponge. Only Kairi, Roxas and a few others didn't cheer. They would much rather spend their time in class than watch a bunch of jocks get up in front of the school and brag about how good they are.

Kairi raised her hand.

"Yes Miss. Knight?"

"Do we have to go to this thing? Couldn't some of us just go to the library in stead?"

In the back of the class, Sora stopped talking, looking over towards Kairi.

"Yes Miss. Knight you do. Don't you want to join in on the school spirit? Cheer on our team?"

"It's not really my thing." Kairi muttered gloomily, "Nor are sports."

"Oh, well, I'm sorry Miss. Knight. Perhaps you could bring a book to read then?"

"Okay." Kairi said, a bit more cheerful. She could do that.

"Well class, I know most of you are excited about this afternoon and tonight but I'd like you all to get together with your partners now and work on your projects."

The class slowly broke off into groups, Sora making his way over towards Kairi.

"You don't want to go to the rally? Come on Kairi, where's your school spirit?"

"Probably the same place your good qualities are kept, it just doesn't come out too often."

Kairi was still irritated by the locker incident yesterday.

Sora frowned but ignored the jab, "You're at least going to the game tonight right?"

"Nope." Kairi said, pulling out her notebook and a pencil.

"What?" Sora said, "But I need you there."

"Why's that?" She asked, not really interested in the answer.

"Because," He said, throwing her his signature grin, "I need my good luck charm there."

"Don't worry it will be. Yuffie will be there. You know, your girlfriend?" Kairi turned her face towards him, giving him a pointed look.

Sora said nothing while he too pulled out his notebook.

"So you don't want to come and cheer me on tonight?"

"Nope, that's the last thing I'd want to do with my free time."

But Sora didn't give up. He leaned a little closer to her, his voice becoming a bit husky. "We could have a little after party once the game's done, just the two of us."

"Hmm…" Kairi said, tapping her chin, pretending to look thoughtful, "As _tempting_ as that sounds, I think I'll pass."

Sora slouched in his seat, not feeling very pumped for his big game tonight.

--

"Sory!" Someone yelled as Kairi walked out of the classroom. She glanced over to see Yuffie a few yards away, looking for Sora. As if on queue, Sora came out of the classroom but instead of walking towards Yuffie, he wheeled around and went in the opposite direction.

"Sora!" Yuffie yelled again, jogging down the hall.

"Yeah?"

She didn't say anything. Instead, she leaned up on her tiptoes and kissed him full on the lips. At this point Kairi looked away and shuddered, not wanting to see the two of them go at it. But if she would have continued watching, she would have seen Sora push Yuffie gently away, looking longingly in Kairi's direction.

--

"This is going to be really boring." Roxas said quietly to Kairi as they walked into the gym.

"I know, wish I could just go to the library."

Roxas nodded in agreement, scanning the gym before something to his right caught his eye.

"What the hell…?" He said.

"What?" Kairi asked, before looking in the direction Roxas was staring openmouthed.

"Oh my god." Kairi exclaimed looking at who had gained his attention. Making their way towards them was Selphie, decked out in the school colors, navy blue and gold, carrying pompoms and a flag with the school's mascot on it.

"Hey guys!" Selphie said, grinning from ear to ear.

"What…" Kairi said before losing her voice. Clearing her throat she tried again, "What's with the outfit?"

"It's the school colors Kairi. I'm getting into the spirit."

"Where did you get all of this?" Roxas asked, just now spotting the blue foam finger she had somehow stuck to her back.

"I bought it from the school store."

"Just now?" He asked.

"Yeah." She looked him over. "Here." She said, handing him the foam finger, "You need to have something." She looked over towards Kairi. "And here." She said, holding out a flag for Kairi to take.

"Err… no thanks Selphie." She said. "You wasted all of your money on this?"

"It's not a waste Kairi." Selphie said frowning at the redhead.

"When will you ever wear this stuff again?"

"At the next prep rally." She said, before walking off towards the junior's section. "Coming?"

Roxas and Kairi looked at one another.

"Sure." Roxas said before glancing back at a snickering Kairi, letting out a chuckle himself.

Ten minutes later the entire school was assembled in the school gym. It was packed to the brim, there being roughly a thousand plus students in the school. Everyone sat talking to one another before a silver haired teen stepped up to the microphone in the middle of the gym, a blonde haired teen beside him. Both of them wore navy blue and gold jerseys, their names and numbers on the back.

"How's everyone doing today?" The silver haired teen said into the microphone.

Everyone in the audience clapped.

"You all ready for the game tonight?"

The students yelled and hollered, clapping yet again.

"Well," The blonde said, taking over the microphone, "Let's get the party started then! As all of you know or should know, I'm Hayner and this guy next to me is Riku. We would like all of the following students to accompany us on the floor…" He called down a handful of freshman, no doubt going to do some stupid hazing to them.

They blindfolded each teen, making them line up in a long row. Riku uncovered a large table to reveal a number of pies sitting on it

"Ready?" Hayner yelled into the microphone, waiting for the crowd to cheer before throwing pie after pie at the students.

The crowd laughed as the blindfolded freshman tried running away from Hayner and Riku. But because of the blindfolds, they looked like headless chicken, running every which way before smacking into one another.

At this point Kairi pulled out her book, immersing herself into her imagination, blocking out the students.

During the next twenty minutes, Riku and Hayner introduced the players of the sports teams. Then the cheerleading team came out, doing a routine and after that, the band came out, playing the school's song. They sprayed water at the crowd, told jokes, did pranks on the teachers and there was a rope pulling contest between junior varsity and varsity teams.

"Now," Hayner said, grabbing the microphone once again, "The moment you've all been waiting for. I want to introduce a good friend of mine. He's captain of the football team and the best quarterback this schools ever seen. He broke two school records and he's still got this year and the next to go. He's the guy everyone wants to be and the ultimate ladies man. Give it up for your school champion, Sora Daniels!"

The noise was nearly deafening as Sora came jogging into the gym, heading up to Hayner. The students in the crowd clapped and cheered, stomping their feet while the cheerleaders shouted their chants, waving their gold and blue pompoms in the air.

Sora looked out at the crowd, giving off his dazzling grin and running his hand through his spiky hair, making nearly every girl in the audience swoon.

"Hey everyone!" Sora yelled into the microphone, "Ready to show those bastards no mercy?"

The gym nearly shook from the thunderous applause, people now standing in their seats to cheer him on.

"Well," Sora said, "We've saved the best for last." He turned around, "Bring it in guys!"

The entire football team came in, pushing a huge object into the gym, which was covered by a white tarp. Sora motioned to his teammates and as he did so, they pulled off the tarp to expose a car with the rival school's logo on it.

"Whoa!" Roxas said, "How the hell did they get a car in here?"

Kairi merely glanced up from her book, took a look at the car, then turned her attention back to her paperback.

The crowd watched confused as Sora walked towards the car. He reached his hand into the backseat, pulling out a sledgehammer. He stood next to the car, handing Riku the microphone before picking up the hammer. Sora swung it as hard as he could towards the car, breaking the front window.

The crowd jumped to their feet, cheering him on as he continued to smash up the car.

He eventually handed off the hammer to another teammate, letting the rest of the team beat up the car before walking back to where a laughing Riku and Hayner stood.

"Sora," Hayner said, "As the most sought after and likeable guy in the entire school, we'd like to ask you a few questions on behalf of the student population."

Sora laughed good-naturedly. "Shoot." He said, waiting for Hayner to continue.

Hayner pulled out a list from his back pocket, before smirking at the first question, "Boxers or briefs?"

Sora had the decency to blush a little, fidgeting. "Boxers." He said, which was followed by a loud applause by the girls in the school.

"What food would you never give up?"

"Mashed potatoes."

"If you could have any superpower what would it be?"

The list of questions went on and on, ranging from stupid to idiotic. Finally Hayner got to the last question.

"If you could date anyone in the entire school, who would it be?"

Kairi shook her head. Of course they had to mention Yuffie in there somewhere right?

"Kairi Knight."

Kairi whipped her head up to see the entire student population staring at her.

"Well Kairi, what do ya say? Will you do this poor man a favor and go out with him?"

Her cheeks burned as she felt every eye in the gym bore into her. She looked down at Sora to see his azure eyes shinning with hope, smiling as if everything was fine. As if he hadn't just call her out in front of the entire school.

Kairi jumped up, running out of the gym, hearing Hayner laughed into the microphone. "I guess that's a no buddy, better luck next time."

--

"Kairi!" Sora yelled behind her, running up the hall. "Kairi wait!" He finally managed to catch her as she headed towards a classroom. He grabbed her arm to spin her around.

"Kairi…"

"You jerk!" She screamed, her eyes filled with anger as she gave him a withering glare.

Sora was surprised he was still alive. With a look like that, he should have dropped dead.

"Kairi…"

"No, I don't want to hear it." She yelled, her face flushed red with fury, "You embarrassed me in front of the _entire_ school! Do you have any idea how stupid I feel?"

"Kairi I didn't do anything. I was just being truthful. It was Hayner who embarrassed you. He's the one who asked the question, not me. Look, I'm sorry okay? I never thought he'd…"

"That's the problem Sora, you don't think! You don't care about anyone's feelings but your own!"

"Kairi, the whole school will forget about it in a few days. Someone else will do something incredibly stupid and forget all about what just happened in there."

"That's not the point!" Kairi shouted, stomping towards him. He swore he could see smoke coming out of her ears.

"Stay the hell away from me!" She growled in a low voice before stalking off down the hall.

Sora stood in the middle of the hall, completely depressed. He'd _never_ seen her that angry before. He balled his hands into a fist and marched off down the hall towards the gym, ready to give Hayner a piece of his mind. And things had been going better than usual for himself and Kairi. He'd have to try even harder to get her to go out with him now.

--

Kairi just turned the corner to head back to her locker when she ran right into Yuffie Russell and a few of her friends.

"There you are." Yuffie said snottily, looking coldly at Kairi.

"What do you want?" Kairi said just as harshly back. She was _not_ in the mood for dealing with Yuffie right now.

"He's mine Knight, so just stay away from him."

"Who?"

"Sora."

"Ugh," Kairi said, disgust clearly written on her face, "Don't worry, you can have him." She tramped past Yuffie and her posse, angry beyond belief. If she hadn't been sure before, she was now definitely convinced she'd rather die a thousand deaths before _ever_ dating Sora Daniels.

--

**Author's Note: **Hey everyone! Thanks so much for all of the reviews! :) I have a Roxas story in the works but I'm not quite sure who to pair him with. Head to my profile to take the poll, I'd love your opinions. Just to be clear, whatever you pick I won't necessarily go with but I'd like to see which pair is more popular to the readers. Thanks again for the reviews, keep them coming!


	5. Anger and Apologies

**Chapter Five: ****Anger and Apologies **

Kairi was putting the contents in her bag away when Sora approached her on Monday.

"Hello love." Sora said, walking up to Kairi's locker. "How was your weekend?"

Kairi ignored him, searching through her locker for her science book.

"Mine was fantastic. We won the game but of course that's no surprise. Only downfall to the weekend was that I didn't have you there to share my victory with."

Kairi continued to ignore him, pulling out her things for class.

"Kairi?" Sora said before putting on his cocky, teasing grin, "So in awe of my presence you can't talk?"

She still said nothing.

"Kairi?" Sora said, waving a hand in front of her face. "Anyone home?"

Kairi slammed her locker shut and stalked off towards class.

"You ignoring me?" Sora asked following behind her.

"Nothing gets past you does it Daniels?" Kairi said sarcastically.

"Well, why are you?"

Kairi glared at him before rolling her eyes at his stupidity.

"Ohh." Sora said, the reason suddenly dawning on him, "Is this about what happened Friday?" At Kairi's silence, Sora ran ahead and stood in the doorway to the science room, blocking her path.

"Move." She said shortly.

"Look, I'm err… sorry okay? But really, no one remembers it even."

Kairi glowered, really losing her patients. "Move,_ please_." She said, just wanting to get into the classroom.

"Kairi…"

She pushed past him, walking to her desk and sitting down.

Sora sighed. Why was she still so angry about it? It was just a stupid question Hayner asked, he had nothing to do with it. Okay, maybe he said her name and did embarrass her in front of the school but come on, to be this angry? And he didn't say it to embarrass her, he was just being truthful.

'_Maybe she's just finally fed up with you.'_ That small, annoying voice that was always right said in the back of his mind. He frowned but batted away the idea, not wanting the voice to be right.

He too walked into the back of the classroom and sat next to his best friend Riku.

Kairi sank into her chair, glad to be rid of him, even if it was for only a few minutes. She was still so angry at him for the pep rally Friday. She was convinced he'd only said her name on purpose just to embarrass her. It was some stupid skit they had probably come up with for some laughs. Well it sure wasn't funny to her. She hated everyone staring at her from time to time, talking about the rally last Friday. She was almost at the end of her rope with Sora. He was the most inconsiderate and selfish person she'd met. She was just so tired of his childish antics that it was driving her crazy!

"Good morning everyone." Mr. Hobart said, waddling slightly into the classroom. "Attendance first, then I'll give you your instructions for today." He checked for each person in the room before walking around his desk to sit in his chair. "Today you'll once again be working on your projects so I won't waste anymore of your time. Get to it."

Students began shuffling around as they partnered up. Kairi simply sat at her desk planning on doing her own work by herself today. Of course, Sora had other plans.

"Talking to me yet?" He asked, sitting down in the seat beside her. At her silence he said more to himself, "Guess not." Sora pulled out his notebook thinking this would maybe win him some points back.

"I got these off the net for you last night. They're some notes on lie detectors." He held out the paper for her to take and when she didn't, he set them on her desk. "I'll just leave them here."

Kairi merely sat in her desk writing while Sora simply watched her, trying to think of a way to get her to talk to him again. She had never outright ignored him like this before and he was starting to realize he didn't like it… not one bit. He'd rather have her yelling at him than completely ignoring him like this. Sora was so deep in thought he didn't realize he had begun tapping his pencil against the desk.

Kairi heard the tapping and, because it was coming from Sora, it was ten times more annoying than it would have been if it came from someone else. She tried to shake off her annoyance, tuning him and the pencil out.

_Tap._

_Tap._

_Tap._

"Could you stop?" She said, putting down her pencil, glaring at him.

"Huh?" He said, coming out of his trance, "Stop what?"

"The pencil." She said gesturing to the insistent tapping he was doing.

"Is it annoying you?" He grinned, goading her.

She sighed, "Forget it, I'm leaving." She began to pack up her things, planning on asking Mr. Hobart if she could work in the library.

"Wait!" Sora said, wanting her to stay. "I'm sorry, I'll stop."

She looked at him hard for a moment before sitting back down to do her work.

"And well…" He said, running a hand through his hair. He wasn't very good at apologies but for her, he'd give it a shot. "I'm sorry about, you know, Friday. I really didn't mean to embarrass you Kairi."

At her disbelieving snort he continued, "Really, I didn't mean to. Hayner asked and believe me I gave him hell for it. I really didn't mean to upset you, I was just being truthful."

"Right." She said, not believing a word of it.

"Really. Kairi, I've been asking you out for a long time now. I said it because I meant it; I want to go out with you."

"That's never going to happen." Kairi said.

He sighed, "Be that as it may, I really didn't mean to embarrass or upset you, I'm sorry."

With that he went back to his work, hoping she'd believe him.

For the rest of the class period they sat in silence, Kairi working on the project while Sora doodled on his paper, occasionally throwing Kairi quick, hopeful glances but received nothing in return.

As the bell rang, Kairi walked out of the classroom, talking to Roxas and Selphie before they all headed off towards their own lockers.

Sora watched Kairi make her way towards her locker, racking his brain. He needed a way to get her to forgive him. This silent treatment was unbearable. As he stood watching her, he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned to see Yuffie, a seductive look on her face.

"Hey sexy." She said in a sultry voice, leaning up to give him a slow, sensual kiss on the lips.

He pushed her away lightly, taking a step back.

"What's wrong?" She asked, a bit of her usual coldness sneaking into her voice.

"Nothing." He said, glancing back at Kairi, "I just, I have something I need to do." He stared at Kairi for a second longer before walking past Yuffie, making his way towards his friends to fill them in on the plan.

Yuffie stared after Sora in disbelief. No one walked away from Yuffie Russell. And no one turned her down. She always got what she wanted. She looked over towards Kairi and glared at the redhead before stalking off in the direction Sora had gone.

--

"Whoa Yuffie just gave you the death glare." Roxas said, coming towards Kairi, watching the raven haired girl stalk off.

"I don't care." Kairi said, shutting her locker and facing Roxas, "Probably because she thinks I want Daniels."

"Oh right, the catfight on Friday."

"It wasn't really a catfight. More like her trying to threaten me, not that I needed to be to stay away from him."

They walked down the hall together heading towards their next class, history.

Class was boring as usual but today Kairi didn't really mind. While in class, she escaped the embarrassment from Friday's activities and focused on her work, completely tuning out the rest of the class, save for Roxas.

She was in the middle of looking up an answer for the clue to the crossword puzzle they had to have completed before the end of the period when it happened. Suddenly the loudspeaker in the room clicked on, the high pitch noise coming from it caused the students to briefly cover their ears.

"Hello everyone." A voice said over the PA system. Daniels… nothing good could come from this.

"I haven't got much time, because at this exact moment, the office is just now realizing we snuck into the headmaster's office without permission and are trying to get the door open. Because of this I'll have to cut it short." He cleared his throat before plowing ahead.

"I'd like to make a formal apology to Kairi Knight." As he said this, she once again felt every eye in the room focus on her. She flushed.

"I'm sorry for calling you out in front of the entire school on Friday Kairi. I didn't mean to embarrass you, it's really Hayner's fault."

"It really is," Hayner's cocky voice was suddenly heard, "He didn't have anything to do with it."

"Thanks Hayner." Sora said before continuing, "But don't blame him, he's not smart enough to help it."

There was a muffled 'hey!' in the background before Sora spoke once again.

"Err… guess that's it. Have a pleasant day everyone."

The speaker went off with a click, the dull buzzing noise that had been emitting from it disappearing along with Sora's voice.

Kairi hazard a glance towards the other occupants in the room. As she suspected, people leaned over in their seats, whispering to one another while staring in her direction.

Kairi closed her eyes; her face beat red, sliding down further into her desk. She was so humiliated.

--

Kairi trudged to her next class, trying to ignore the pointed stares and whispers from everyone in the hall. She rounded the corner of the hall, smacking right into another student, causing her books to tumble to the floor.

"Sorry." She mumbled, before crouching on the ground to pick up her things.

"It's alright." A male voice said, causing her to look up sharply.

"Of course." Kairi mumbled to herself, her eyes narrowing at the sight of him. "On second thought, I'm not sorry."

"What's with the glare?" Sora asked, bending down to pick up a book, handing it to her.

She snatched the book out of his hand, "I don't need your help." She hissed, not looking at him. It would only infuriate her more to see that cocky face.

"Hey what's with the hostility?" Sora asked, standing up and taking a step back. "I just apologized to you in front of the whole school and got detention for it, what gives?"

"You just called me out in front of the entire school, _again_." She looked around, "Now people are staring more than they were this morning!" She sent him one last withering glare before hustling down the hall, trying to get as far away from him as possible.

--

Kairi made her way back to her locker, incredibly frustrated and wanting to go home. Of course everyone had talked about her today but thankfully it was much less than she anticipated.

She also hadn't seen Sora at all since their short conversation in the hall earlier that morning. She thanked her lucky stars for that. She had no doubt though, that he'd make one last appearance before she managed to leave.

As if on queue, she saw him turning the corner into her hall, laughing with his buddies. She hated his friends; they were almost as bad as him. _Almost._ The only thing that differed between them was that they left Kairi alone, extremely content in their perfect, ditzy girlfriends. She didn't mind Riku; he was the quietest of the group. He didn't act majorly cocky like the rest of his idiotic friends but he was still a jerk. Hayner was just unbearable to be around. Always cracking humorless jokes that the girls around him laughed hysterically at, trying to gain his attention.

She turned back to her locker, wanting to get out of there as fast as possible before he saw her again.

Kairi opened her locker and was shocked to see a large coffee sitting on the shelf. She looked around at the surrounding students but no one was paying attention to her. She looked back to the coffee, the rich, tantalizing aroma tickling her nose. Breathing in the heavenly scent, Kairi took down the coffee and was shocked yet again to find a small rose attached to the back of it.

She searched around for a card or something to signify who had left it but there was none. Suddenly the realization that someone had broken into her locker struck her and she searched through her locker, making sure everything was in its rightful place. Sure enough it was all there. The only thing different about the locker was the coffee that had been hiding inside.

Kairi wondered if it was safe to drink. Someone obviously put it in there as a gesture, possible romantic, judging from the flower attached to it. She wondered though if it was a prank and something had been done to the coffee. And how did this person find out her locker combination? She'd never told anyone before. Well, except Roxas and Selphie but she new they would never tell anyone and she was sure the romantic gesture hadn't been from one of them. As she speculated whether to drink the coffee or not and whom it was from, Sora made is way over to her, grin intact.

"Like the coffee?" Sora asked, leaning against the locker next to hers.

Her face fell, "So it's from you?"

"Yeah, who else would it be from?" He questioned, smirking gently at her. As a thought crossed his mind he instantly became tense, "Did you want it to be from someone specific?"

She didn't notice the slight hardness to his tone by the mere thought he had competition.

"Stay out of my locker." She growled.

"Did you?"

"No, just now I can't drink it now." She sighed, staring longingly at the coffee.

His expression turned puzzled, "Why not?"

"Because you gave it to me."

"And?"

"And you probably did something to it as a joke with your friends."

"Paranoid much?" He said, chuckling, "You need to chill a bit Kairi. It's to apologize for earlier… and Friday. Besides, would I ever try tricking you? With your temper? Do I look stupid to you?" He teased lightly.

Kairi gave him a blank look, "… I'm assuming that's a rhetorical question?"

Sora frowned.

"How'd you know I liked coffee?"

"Because nearly everyday you come into school, you're always carrying a cup. Now before you say anything, I'm not stalking you. I'm just observant."

She stared at the cup before placing it back on her shelf.

"Aren't you going to drink it?"

"Nope."

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. This trait usually came from his frustration, until he found out it drove girls wild... then he did it on purpose.

"Kairi just drink the coffee. I swear I didn't do anything to it."

"And your word is to be trusted? _Right_." She said unbelievingly, grabbing her things from her locker.

"Look, like I said, it's just an apology. A piece offering if you will. Just drink it."

"No."

"Kairi…"

"No."

"Just drink the damn coffee."

"Why are you so persistent about me drinking the coffee if nothing's wrong with it?"

"Because I bought it for you and it's a nice gesture, just drink it!"

"No thank you." She said before picking up the coffee and closing her locker, placing the cup in his hand.

"Stay out of my locker." She warned, before making her way down the hall.

Sora sighed, irritated by her stubbornness. Why wouldn't she just take the damn coffee and forgive him already?

He followed her out the door as she made her way towards her bench.

"Kairi." He said, approaching her.

"Ugh, can't you just leave me alone?"

"No I need you to forgive me."

"Why?" She asked irritated.

"Just because, I don't like this silent treatment, just yell at me or something."

"Nope, I like not talking to you a whole lot better."

"Kairi."

She didn't reply as she took out a book from her bag and began to read.

Sora stood waiting for a reply but none came. He smirked before plucking the book out of her hands.

"Hey!" She said angrily, "Give that back!"

"Not until you forgive me."

"I'm not going to so give the book back and leave me alone."

"Okay, I guess you won't be getting it back then." He turned away from her, pretending to take off.

Kairi stood, trying to grab the book back from him.

"Give it to me!"

"Nope." He said, smirking at her futile attempts to jump and grab the book, held well away from her reach.

After a few minutes of trying, she sat heavily on the bench and crossed her arms.

Huffing she asked, "If I forgive you will you leave me alone?"

"Yes."

"Okay then yes, I forgive you." She held out her hand expectantly, "Now can I have my book?"

He still held it behind his back, "Now, do you mean it or are you just saying that to get me to go away? The second I give you the book back are you going to just ignore…"

"I forgive you, just give me my book and go away before I change my mind."

"So you'll talk to me tomorrow when we work on our project?"

"Yes." She ground out reluctantly.

"Okay cool." He said, grinning. Handing her the book back he said, "Have a good night Kairi, I'll see you tomorrow." Slipping his hands into his pockets, he began whistling a merry tune as he made his way towards his car.

--

**Author's Note:** Hello readers, like the chapter? Remember to **review **and tell me what you think. A quick comment to some of the reviews I've been getting… I know Yuffie acts extremely different than she does in the game but I could picture her with Sora and because he's a jerk, I had to make her one as well so they'd fit together. Thanks to all the people who review!


	6. A Reluctant Yes

**Chapter Six: A Reluctant Yes**

Over the past week Sora had been more annoying that usual. He relentlessly asked her out, more determined to get her to say yes than he ever had before. It seemed like every time he saw her, he'd ask her out. In the hall, in class, outside... She wasn't safe anywhere. By this point, Kairi wouldn't be surprised if he showed up at her house or called her mother and asked her. She didn't know how much longer she could take it. Sora had been asking her out for a year and a half now but it had never gotten this bad before.

'_Maybe the time limit on his bet with his friends is running out. That's why he's so persistent, he's in a hurry.' _She thought as she made her way with her mother into Topher's to get a pick me up before heading off to school.

"Hey Topher." She greeted, taking a seat on one of the stools.

"Hey Kairi, Jayna." He said, smiling at each in turn. "Coffee?"

"Yes please." They both said simultaneously.

Topher got out two cups and poured some coffee into them.

"You need anything else Kairi? You seem a little sick."

"No I'm good, just didn't get enough sleep last night, I'll be fine after my coffee. Thanks though." She replied as she poured some cream and put a scoop of sugar into her coffee, mixing around all of the ingredients thoroughly.

"Well at least eat something then." Topher said and before she could reply, got Kairi her favorite donut, complete with chocolate frosting and colored sprinkles.

"Thanks." She said gratefully, taking it from him and munching on it slowly.

Topher nodded and talked to her mother for a few minutes before making his way back into the kitchen.

Her mother turned towards her, "So are you really okay?"

"Yeah I'm fine, just dreading school. Sora's worse than ever. This whole past week he's done nothing but hound me, trying to get me to date him."

"Well just ignore him as best you can hon." Jayna said, rubbing her daughters back comfortingly for a moment before sipping some of her coffee. "Or do what I suggested…"

"No." Kairi said, "Over my dead body."

--

Kairi hustled into school, pulling her blazer closer to her body. It was a bit more nippy out than usual for late October. As she made her way to her locker, she suppressed a groan at who stood beside it.

"Not again." She nearly cried, tired of Sora bugging her.

"Hey Kairi." Sora said, giving her a smug look, hands behind his back.

"Hi." She said warily, eyeing him suspiciously.

"I have something for you." He said, before pulling out a large cup of coffee from behind his back.

Kairi nearly drooled at the smell omitting from the cup.

"It's a white chocolate caramel cappuccino. Figured you'd want it."

"What's the catch?"

"No catch whatsoever. The person who drinks this gets the _privilege_ to go out with me on a date."

She chuckled lightly. "Sora, I'm not going out with you just because you give me a cup of really good coffee." As she said this, her stomach growled in protest.

"Seems to me like you want it pretty bad so I just may have a chance. And, well I made you laugh. Come on, doesn't that count for something? Every woman wants a man with a sense of humor."

"Yes but we also want them to be nice, caring, sweet, respectful, loyal and sensitive. And those, Sora, are things you are most definitely are not. And besides, what about your girlfriend?"

"Girlfriend?" Sora asked, confused.

"Yuffie? Remember her? The one who's tongue has been stuck down your throat all week? " Kairi said, staring at him as if he were stupid.

"Oh," Sora said, a light going off in his head. "We broke it off." He stared at her a moment before grinning widely. "If I didn't know any better Kairi I'd say you sound a bit jealous at what Yuffie and I were doing."

"Please," Kairi said, "Don't make me laugh."

"I don't know. You sure sounded like it to me. Or maybe you're jealous that Yuffie's been off the market. And if that's the case I just have to say, that's so incredibly hot and totally alright with me…"

"Ugh, can you be any more perverted?" Kairi said, throwing him a disturbed look.

With that she opened her locker, grabbed her things and headed off towards class. But as she walked past him she quickly took the cup of coffee from his hand and sped off before he could do anything about it.

"I'm not going out with you but thanks for the coffee." She yelled back to him. She grinned innocently, giving him a swift 'cheers' before bringing the deliciously sweet coffee to her lips, nearly melting as the warm liquid hit her tongue. God did she love coffee.

--

"Okay so I've already got a ton of info on how to tell if someone is lying, and a little on how a lie detector works. Any luck on assembling a lie detector?"

"Yeah, I found a site that sells kits on how to make one, plus it comes with all the equipment." Sora said, sitting across from Kairi. "It's going to be a bit crappy but well, that's what you get. Unless you're willing to spend a thousand bucks on it and I'm not, nor would my parents be too fond of the idea."

"The kit is fine I think. Just having one will be a bit fun and show Mr. Hobart we actually worked on something different and creative. Not something as simple and boring as those erupting volcano structures he probably gets every year."

"Alright I'll buy that tonight then, it'll take a few days to get here and then some more to get done."

"That's fine, we have plenty of time and we're almost finished."

Kairi sat scribbling on her notepad for a few minutes, generating a moment of silence between the two. Sora watched her brow furrow with concentration as her neat, slanted handwriting painted itself across her paper. As she worked he notice that she was biting her bottom lip, something she had always done when she was absorbed in her work. He would never admit it to anyone but he found it incredibly cute.

As he was thinking this, a loose strand of hair felt gently from behind her ear, hanging in front of her face. Sora, in a trace, reached out to tuck it back just as she looked up from her paper. Embarrassed, he quickly pulled it off to look like he had been going to scratch his head… but just barely. She looked at him strangely for a moment before sitting up straight in her chair.

"Okay well… I guess that's it then." Kairi said, closing her notebook.

"We're done?"

"For now yeah, I have to type up our report at home and you need to get the lie detector done but other than that, we don't have anything to do. We've got more than enough information to get a good grade."

"Nice, so we're free for the next two weeks in this class at least."

"Just make sure you get your part done Sora."

"I will, I will." Sora said, pausing shortly while he watched Kairi.

"Kairi?"

"What?" She asked distractedly.

"Will you go out with me tonight?"

Kairi didn't even glance up from her work, "No."

"Tomorrow night?"

"No."

He waited a few seconds, "The night after that?"

"God," Kairi said, putting down her pencil, "Can you be any more annoying?"

"I don't know, wanna try and find out?"

She rolled her eyes at his childish antics, returning to her work.

Sora sighed. He thought them actually getting along and not pissing her off would have made his chances at getting her to date him higher. But of course, he was wrong.

They sat in silence the rest of the class period each in their own thoughts. Kairi, thinking about the project and whether or not Sora would get his part done, while Sora was trying to yet again, think of a way to get her to date him.

--

Kairi was walking back to her locker, relieved the week was over and she had two days off. Which meant no more Sora for two days. That made her even happier. So she was in an incredibly happy mood when Sora came bounding towards her.

"So about tonight…" He started.

"There is no 'tonight' Sora. I told you already, I'm not dating you."

"Well I figured you changed you're mind from since we last talked."

She looked at him blandly, "Have I ever changed my mind about this?"

"Well, no… but there's a first time for everything." He said hopefully.

"Not in this case."

"Aw, come on Kairi. Go out with me."

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"Kairi…"

"No."

"Just once?"

"No."

"Come on, it'll be fun."

"No."

He sighed frustrated, running a hand through his spiky hair. Suddenly, an idea popped into his head.

"I'll make it worth your while."

"Nothing you could say or offer me would make me date you Sora."

"Well just hear me out." He said, turning her around to face him. "I'll pay you."

"What!?" Kairi asked, horrified and angry, "So what? You think I'm some whore you can just buy?"

"Wait no, that's not what I meant…"

"Save it Daniels. I'm leaving." She slammed her locker shut and stalked off, Sora running behind her to keep up, not wanting her to get away.

"Kairi wait!"

"Leave. Me. Alone!"

"Kairi just listen…"

"No Daniels, you listen. You know, I thought you were a jerk before but now you're a complete jackass. I want nothing to do with you. Outside of class I am never talking to you again… and this time I mean it!" With that she sat on "her" bench and crossed her arms, glaring angrily into space.

"Kairi." Sora said, sitting beside her, "I didn't mean it like that. I just…"

"What?" Kairi said, already breaking her oath to ignore him, "Need to date me before your bet expires?"

Sora looked at her baffled, "What bet?"

She ignored him, "Just leave me alone."

"Kairi I just meant, if the idea of dating me is that bad, I'll compensate you for it. If you just give me one date, three hours of your time, I'll pay you. Just so you'll give me a chance. I'm sorry, I thought the idea might have been appealing. I hadn't tried that on you before." He said, hoping he hadn't said another idiotic thing to offend her again.

Kairi stared at the ground beneath her feet. Suddenly a conversation with her mother rang through her ears. _"You could agree to go out with him, one date, on the condition that if you do, he'll never ask you out again and leave you alone." _Right now, the trade off of going on one date with Sora for him to leave her alone forever sounded appealing. Very appealing.

"You promise to leave me alone afterwards and I'll go out with you."

"What?" Sora asked stunned, his eyes wide. He couldn't have heard what he just thought he did.

"I'll go out with you on one date, if you agree to leave me alone afterwards and stop bugging me. You won't ask me out ever again."

"Is this a joke?" Sora asked in disbelief.

She rolled her eyes, "Take it or leave it."

"I'll take it." He said hurriedly before she could change her mind. "So tonight then?"

"Whatever." Kairi replied just wanting him to leave her alone.

"Alright, tonight it is. I'll pick you up at seven. Wear something nicer. No casual clothes."

"Fine."

"Alright." Sora said, standing up, nearly in a daze. He smiled at her, "See ya tonight."

--

Kairi trudged into her home completely miserable. She couldn't believe what she had just done. She was slowly starting to regret her decision as the reality of the situation began to sink in. She agreed to go out with Sora Daniels, who was to her, the very bane of her existence. Kairi had just wanted him to leave her alone. Then her mother's words popped into her head and before the reasonable side of her brain could say anything… _bam!_ She was going on a date with Sora. She walked into her living room and slumped onto the couch, putting her face in her hands.

"Kairi?" Her mother said, walking into the living room. "What's wrong?" She immediately sat down, wrapping an arm around her daughter's shoulders.

"I did it."

"You did what hon?"

"What you said to do."

Jayna sat thinking hard, "What did I tell you to do?"

"To go out with him!" Kairi exclaimed, rising from the couch and beginning to pace.

"Who?"

"Sora!"

"What!?" Her mother exclaimed, pulling Kairi back onto the couch, "Details."

"Well he wouldn't leave me alone. This whole week he's been absolutely unbearable. And at the end of the day, he wouldn't stop bugging me and ending up saying something really offensive. I stalked off, he of course followed. Then he asked me out and I thought about what you said before at Topher's and I agreed, just wanting him to leave me alone."

She stood up again. "Now I'm roped into a date with him and it's all your fault!"

"Oh hon." Jayna said, trying to fight back the humor at the situation. "It might not be that bad…"

"Right, and pigs can fly."

Jayna stayed silent for a moment, knowing jokes would only upset her daughter more at this point. "Alright well, call him and back out of it."

"And have him bug me the rest of high school? No, I'll go out with him on this one date then that's it. If he asks me out again afterwards, I'll file a restraining order or something."

"Right." Her mother said, "Well did he say where he's taking you?"

"No just told me to dress nice."

"Alright well, he'll probably taking you out somewhere a little fancier, so what are you going to wear?"

"I don't know." Kairi said depressed, flopping back onto the couch. She sighed, "Guess I'll just have to bite the bullet huh?"

Jayna gave her a sympathetic smile, "Guess so, if you want him to stop bugging you."

Kairi quieted for a few moments before she heaved one more sigh. Coming to a resolve, she turned to her mother, "What should I wear?"

Jayna smiled, "Well, I just got this really cute…"

--

**Author's Note:** There you have it, she finally said yes. Let the fun begin =) Hope everyone liked the chapter, I'll update in a few days to make up for the long wait. **Review** and Happy Holidays!


	7. The Date

**Chapter Seven: The Date**

Kairi shyly walked out of the bathroom, looking down at herself as she did so.

She was wearing a slim fitting, black dress that dipped into a V at the neck with two small straps covering her shoulders. The dress was cut just above her knees with a small slit on each side. Kairi wanted to wear something nice if they were going somewhere expensive, she didn't want to look out of place. The dress was elegant but simple, slightly revealing but not cheap. Her hair was pulled into a twist on the back of her head, a few tendrils of hair spiraling down from it, lightly framing her face. She also wore a pair of diamond earrings and black high heels.

"Wow," Her mother said when she saw Kairi. "You look great Kairi. You're sure to knock his socks off."

"That's not my goal." Kairi said, giving her a slightly annoyed look, "I'm just trying to look nice if we're going somewhere more expensive."

"Well you look the part hon." Jayna said, "Now stay there for a second."

"Why?"

"Because," Her mother yelled, running up the stairs quickly, "I need to take a picture."

"Mom, not you don't." Kairi yelled back.

"Yes, I really do." Jayna replied, already coming back to stand in front of Kairi. "Okay smile."

Kairi shook her head but smiled, amused by her mother.

"Perfect." She said, looking at the picture. "Just one more thing."

"Mom where are you going now?" Kairi asked, watching her mother run back up the stairs.

"Just a sec." Kairi could hear her mother's footsteps pounding on the floor above her.

"Mom," Kairi hollered, checking the clock in the kitchen, "He'll be here soon and I do_ not_ want to make this night any longer than it needs to be."

"Alright I'm coming." Her mother said as she hustled down the stairs. She handed something to Kairi, "Wear this."

Kairi held up a silver chained necklace with a small heart attached to it. Tiny diamonds were imbedded within the heart, tracing along the edges.

"Wow, it's gorgeous. Where'd you get it?"

"I got it for my birthday last year."

"You did? How come I've never seen it?"

"You have."

"When?"

"Uh," Her mother hesitated, afraid her daughter was losing her memory, "When you wore it."

"To where?" Kairi asked, having no idea what her mother was talking about.

"Christmas dinner last year at your grandparents house."

Kairi thought for a moment. "Oh yeah!" She looked down at the necklace with a new familiarity. "Thanks mom."

"No problem." Jayna said, pausing as she heard a car pull up. "He's hear!" She excitedly moved to the window, looking outside to catch a glimpse of his car. "Wow, nice car. Come look." Not hearing any movement behind her, she turned to see her daughter looking slightly green, as though she was going to be sick.

"What's…" She began before she was interrupted.

"I can't do this." Kairi blurted out, her eyes darting to the door. "It was a stupid idea. I don't want to go on a date with him. He'll be a jerk and talk about himself the whole time and I'll be so bored and he'll ogle me and flirt horrendously the whole time and _oh my God_, what if he expects me to kiss him? Cause there is no way I'm…"

"Kairi." Her mother said quickly, putting her hands on her daughter's shoulders. Kairi was going into panic mode and that was never good. "You have to calm down hon. It's just a date. It'll take three hours tops and you'll be back here and never have to deal with him again. You'll be fine. Now breath, he's going to knock any second."

"Right." Kairi breathed deeply. She could do this. It was just one little date and then she never had to deal with him ever again. No more teasing, bugging her, asking her out… She smiled. She could do this.

A loud knock came from the door and, with a little nudge from her mother, Kairi slowly walked over and opened it.

There stood Sora in black slacks, a white button up shirt and a black jacket. His hair was still messy, though it looked like he had _tried_ to tame it, but failed horribly. He held a bouquet of red roses in his right hand while his left was casually stuck in his pocket. Sora's eyes immediately scanned her body, his mouth dropping open.

"Hi." She said, a small blush coming to her cheeks at the attention she was receiving.

"Uh, hey…" He said weakly, continuing to stare at her until he seemed to snap out of it. "You look amazing."

"Thanks."

They stood there for a few awkward seconds until Kairi brought her attention to the flowers.

"Flowers?" She said, trying to fill the silence.

"Huh?" Sora exclaimed, still distracted by her. She looked absolutely gorgeous.

"You have roses in your hand, they for someone?"

"Oh yeah!" He said, quickly handing the flowers to her, "They're for you."

Kairi took the roses and quickly placed them on a table just inside the door.

"Thanks." She said to Sora before looking back over her shoulder to her mother. "See you later." She tried to quickly step outside and shut the door but her mother was faster. Jayna grabbed the door and pulled it open, wanting to get a good look at this Sora she had heard so much about.

"So you're Sora." She said, her eyes narrowing slightly as she crossed her arms, trying to intimidate him. She was just joking but there was no need for him to know that.

"Uh, yeah." Sora said, shifting from one foot to the other nervously. Sticking out his hand he continued, "It's nice to meet you Ms. Knight."

"Please." Jayna said, waving her hand, "It's Jayna." She grasped his hand and shook it, still not sure what to make of him.

"Alright." He said, a bit uncomfortably. Sora stood there for a long minute, not really knowing what to say to her. This was Kairi's mother, the girl he was crazy about. _'Say something, anything.'_

"I can see where Kairi gets her good looks from." He said, giving her his most charming smile. _'Nice one Sora.'_ He thought, applauding himself. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Kairi roll her eyes.

Jayna laughed, the kid was good. "Flattery will get you everywhere with me. You picked a keeper Kairi."

Sora smiled, showing his perfect, white teeth while Kairi threw her mother a withering glare.

A thick silence fell around the three, instantly making Sora uncomfortable once again, his confidence slipping.

He cleared his throat, "We should really get going."

"Right, well, you two have fun." As Sora turned around and headed towards the car, Jayna gave Kairi a wink. "He's pretty cute." She whispered teasingly, earning a glare from her daughter.

"Bye." Kairi whispered, before making her way towards Sora's car. She was slightly shocked when she looked up to find him holding open the door for her, a smile on his face. She muttered a quick 'thank you' and hustled into the car.

They sat in an uneasy silence for a solid five minutes, each not really knowing what to say. Kairi was nervous and dreading the evening while Sora was incredibly anxious. This was the first date he'd ever been on that he actually cared about the girl he was with. Contrary to her belief, she wasn't just some object or game to him.

"Your mom seems nice." He threw out there, not really sure what else to say.

"Yeah," Kairi said, "She's great."

"Where's your dad?"

"Oh," Kairi said, looking out the window, "He's not really around."

"Oh." He took a quick look at her face and saw the sadness there. _'Must of hit a nerve. Wonder what that's about?'_

Another uncomfortable silence passed.

"So you seemed kind of nervous meeting my mom." Kairi said, teasing him. It was really the only comfortable thing to do. She had never really _talked_ to him before and the banter came naturally.

"Well, I'm not really a parent person."

"I figured as much." Kairi said. She looked at him for a moment before staring back out the window.

Sora smirked at her, "It seemed like she knew me. You talk about me a lot huh?"

Kairi scoffed, "I _complain_ about you a lot."

He had nothing to say to that, he'd given her every reason to hate him.

A long minute later, Sora wiped his sweaty hands on his pants and breathed heavily. _'Calm down.'_ He thought to himself, _'You're going to blow it if you continue like this the whole night. Let's get the conversation rolling.'_

"So Kairi." Sora said, his eyes flickering towards her. "You've been holding out on us."

"Huh?" Kairi said, not getting what he was hinting at.

"I had no idea you had that hot body under those school clothes."

She rolled her eyes, but Sora did see a slight blush come to her cheeks.

"Charming as ever Daniels." Kairi retorted, giving him a reproachful look before staring down at her hands, playing with them.

"So where are we going?" Kairi asked a few seconds later.

"It's a surprise." He replied, giving her a wink before looking back out at the road.

"How far away is it?"

"We're about halfway there."

Kairi looked out the window and saw they were at the ferry station.

"What are we doing here?"

"Taking the ferry to the mainland. I have no idea where to eat around here, I've only been to this island a handful of times." He looked out the window before turning to her, "I'll be right back." Sora jumped out of car and made his way over to an employee who worked at the station. Kairi watched them exchange hand gestures for a moment before Sora came jogging back to the car.

"Okay." Sora exclaimed, driving the car up to a small gate.

"What was that about?"

"Oh, I was just telling him I needed to get onto the ferry with my car."

"Oh right, you'd probably need that over there."

Sora nodded before moving his car slowly past the now opened gate, inching his way forward as the worker carefully ushered him in.

"Now we just have to wait about twenty minutes. Once we get to the island, we'll be just about there."

"Okay." Kairi said, resting her elbow on the windowsill on the door, placing her chin in her hand. She was already bored.

It was a slightly agonizing journey as they waited for the ferry to make it's way across the water to the mainland. Twenty five minutes later they were coming off the boat.

Sora took a right and drove alongside the ocean on a road Kairi had never been on before. They traveled about two miles before a huge, luxurious boat appeared behind a bend of trees.

"Wow." Kairi whispered to herself but Sora had heard. A huge grin appeared on his face.

Kairi could only star at it in wonder. It was beautiful. Lights shimmered from every window, giving off a beautiful, romantic glow. The water, illuminating by the ship, glittered below. There was a dock that lead out about sixty feet into the ocean with a ramp connecting it to the entryway of the boat.

As they parked in front of the dock, a man in a white tuxedo ran over towards them and stood beside the car. Kairi opened her door to get out but Sora rushed over.

"I got it." He said, opening it up further to let her out.

"Thanks."

Kairi looked up at the boat, trying but failing to see the top. This thing was gigantic. The boat was painted white but towards the front were black, cursive letters spelling 'Victory'.

Sora handed his keys to the valet and turned to Kairi. He smiled, watching her gawking at the surroundings. So far, so good. At least she liked the place.

He put his hand on the small of her back before leading her inside. They went through a huge door in the middle of the boat, walking on a lush red carpet and stopping at a podium in the middle of the room.

"May I help you Sir?" An employee in a black suit asked, standing behind the podium.

"Yes, reservation for Daniels."

The man ran his finger down a long list of names before stopping.

"Ah yes, right this way." He gestured for them to follow before heading up a grand staircase that branched off in two different directions. They took a door right smack in the middle of the two passages and followed the man through.

If Kairi thought the place looked amazing before she had no idea what to call it now. They were standing in a massive ballroom, filled with hundreds of tables. The carpet was a deep red, with chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. To the far left of the room was a dance floor where a number of people stood dancing while someone played on a very large white piano.

The man lead them to a table on the right side of the room, a bit more secluded than the others. The table was placed right underneath a window that overlooked the vast ocean below, which extended as far as the eye could see.

The employee pulled out each of their chairs before lighting the two candles in the middle of the table.

"A waiter will be with you shortly." He said, before giving a slightly bow and bustling off.

"You like the place?" Sora asked, picking up a white napkin and placing it over his lap.

"I love it." Kairi answered truthfully, still in a bit of shock. She couldn't believe he'd take her to a place this extravagant, it much have cost a fortune. Why would he waste this much money trying to impress her?

"This place must have reservations backed up weeks in advance. How on earth did you manage to get us in here?"

"I pulled a few strings." He smirked.

"More like your parents did you mean?"

"Well, same thing." He shrugged, giving her a lopsided grin.

"How come I've never seen this place from the ferry before?"

"I don't know, it arrived earlier this morning. You must have just been immersed in one of your books." He smiled lightly, "It only ports here for a few weeks a year. It travels to all sorts of different places around the world." Sora explained as he picked up his menu and opened it.

"Any idea what you might want?"

"No clue." She said, picking up the menu to scan through the items. "I've never been to a place like this before so I might not be the most knowledgeable on the food here."

"Well, what do you like? They have the same foods as anywhere else, its just more expensive and done a bit differently."

Kairi looked over the menu. Nothing was very familiar. She was used to burgers, chicken strips, pizza, pop tarts and Chinese food. Not the fancy stuff on the menu. _'Escargot?' _She shuttered, _'Yuck.'_ She scanned the list of foods looking for something she might know. _'Salmon! That's something I'll eat.' _

She put down her menu to find Sora staring intently at her.

"What?"

His cheeks reddened. "Err, nothing, sorry." At her inquisitive look, he opened his mouth to speak but at that moment, a waiter in a black and white uniform came over to them.

"Hello I'm Milo, I'll be your waiter for this evening. What would you like to drink?"

Sora put down his menu, "I'll have a club soda with lime."

"And to eat?"

"Uh, the lamb with the French onion soup please." He handed his menu to the waiter.

"Miss? What would you like?"

"Oh, um do you serve coffee?" Kairi asked, in desperate need of a fix.

"Yes, we have hazel nut, and regular or if you prefer a tastier drink we have a peppermint mocha twist or a white chocolate mocha."

"I'll have a white chocolate mocha and the salmon fillet with the grilled chicken Caesar salad please."

"Alright." The waiter said, jotting down their orders, "Your drinks will be here shortly."

Sora nodded to him before turning back to Kairi.

"Coffee with your salmon?"

"Of course, what else?"

Sora shook his head, she was crazy.

"So..." He said, not really sure what to talk about now that they were here.

"So…" She repeated, fiddling with the white table cloth.

"Where do you usually go to eat?"

"A local restaurant near my house called Topher's Place. He makes the best food and coffee I've ever had." She smiled before continuing, "It's not anything like this place but I've gone there since it opened when I was eight. It's kind of mine and my mom's spot."

"Sounds interesting, I'll have to check it out sometime."

Silence fell around the pair.

"Err, I know I already said this… but you really do look amazing tonight." Sora said once again, giving her a warm, sincere smile.

"Thanks." She said, managing to fight down the blush wanting to rise on her cheeks. She wished he would stop saying that. "You clean up pretty nice yourself."

"Well when I'm out on a date with someone for the first time, I try to impress a bit."

"Clearly." She said, gesturing to the room.

"Once we get to our third or fourth date, it'll be movies and fast food restaurants."

"You sound pretty sure of yourself there."

"Well," Sora smirked, running a hand through his hair, his cockiness coming back, "No girl can resist me."

"You sure about that?" Kairi said, raising an eyebrow at him.

Sora stared at her for a long moment, tilting his head to the side as he studied her. "You really don't like me do you?"

Kairi sighed, putting down her drink. "You're just annoying that's all. _Really_ annoying."

"So, if I were less annoying you'd actually like me?"

"No, if you were less annoying I could tolerate you. If you miraculously became nice, were more mature, stopped acting like a jerk, stopped bugging me and stopped being cocky all the time then _maybe_ I'd like you. That's a big maybe though."

"Okay. Good to hear." He took a sip from his drink to hide the smile forming on his lips. So she didn't really hate him. He just needed to stop acting like a two year old. He could do that. He didn't want this to be the only date he ever had with her. So far, things were going far better than he'd ever imagined possible, he just hoped he wouldn't mess it up.

They ate their dinner in silence, Sora occasionally asking a question to try to get the conversation flowing, but it didn't work too well. Right now, they were currently finishing their dessert, Sora eating a chocolate mousse cake while Kairi tried a lemon cream cake with chocolate curls.

Sora racked his brain for something clever or funny to say… but nothing came. He watched as Kairi idly picked at her plate, resting her cheek against her hand. She looked so bored. He glanced around the room, hearing music play on the other side. An idea struck.

"You wanna dance?"

"What?" She said, looking up from her plate, not having heard him.

"Do you want to dance?" Sora asked again, gesturing with his head towards the dance area while a slow song played.

"I err… I'm not too good at it." She said embarrassed.

"That's okay, first time for everything right? I'll teach you." He stood and walked over towards her, his hand outstretched, waiting for her to take it.

"Sora…"

"Please?" He asked, for once in a polite voice.

Kairi stared at him for a moment, seeing the stubbornness shinning in his deep blue eyes. If she didn't accept, he'd just bug her until she did. Kairi's shoulder's slumped in defeat as she took his hand.

Sora threw her a grin and lead her to the dance floor where a few other couples stood, swaying slowly to the rhythm of the music.

Sora pulled her close, but not close enough for her to get angry with him. He kept a good, safe distance between them, taking her hand in his and placing his other hand on her waste.

"Put your hand on my shoulder." He said, smiling as he watching her blush prettily, doing what she was told. "Now just follow my lead." Sora continued.

He began to slowly move, Kairi awkwardly trying to follow.

"Sorry." She said quickly, after seeing him grimace when she stepped on his foot with her heel.

"It's okay." He said, smiling at her in reassurance before starting again. As they danced Kairi slowly got the hang of it. They moved more gracefully across the dance floor, spinning and twirling between couples. Sora dared to move them just a little closer together, hoping she wouldn't notice and back away. He caught a whiff of her hair and breathed deeply, closing his eyes and smiling. She smelled like strawberries and coffee, which was an odd combination but it smelt nice. He held her close, relishing the feeling of finally having her in his arms.

Kairi had been so concentrated on dancing correctly she hadn't noticed how close they were until now. So that's why he had wanted to dance, just to feel her up? Is this what he did on all his dates to win the girl over; act all charming and suave on the dance floor? She could see how that would maybe work… with the bimbos he dated at least. The dim lighting, the slow music, the two of them swaying back and forth… but come on, that's way too easy. Is that really how he got all his girls? Kairi shook her head slightly. Same old Sora. If he thought that would work on her… he had another thing coming.

She tried to pull away slowly when the song ended but he was having none of it. His arms tightened around her instinctively, pulling her back to him as the next song began to play. Kairi rolled her eyes at his caveman like behavior. Although she would never admit it, somewhere in the back of her mind… she kind of liked it. Kairi quickly squashed that train of thought, not liking where her mind was wandering off to.

As the second song ended, Kairi pulled out of Sora's loose embrace. He felt a sudden emptiness when she stepped out of his arms. It had felt so natural, she fit so perfectly in his arms.

"Thank you." He said, giving her a grin.

"You're welcome."

The two of them stood there for a moment before Sora boldly took Kairi's hand once again, hoping she wouldn't pull away.

She didn't.

He knew she was just being polite but he couldn't help but grin like a fool as he lead her back to their table.

They sat for about fifteen more minutes, conversation between them becoming a _tiny_ bit easier before Sora checked his watch.

"We should get going."

Kairi nodded, standing behind Sora as he went to pay the bill. As they headed to his car, Kairi felt relieved… the night was almost over. Sora, on the other hand, felt saddened, not wanting this night to end.

--

As they pulled up to her house, Sora got out of the car quickly to open her door. They walked up the steps to her front door, each not really knowing how to end the unusual night.

Sora cleared his throat, "Well, thanks for coming out with me."

"No problem."

"I know you didn't really want to go in the first place but, well, I really enjoyed it and I appreciate you giving me a chance."

"Surprisingly, it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. It was actually okay."

"Really?" Sora asked, stunned.

"Yeah. Who knew?"

They both smiled briefly at the other before the deafening silence enveloped them again. Kairi stared at the ground while Sora scuffed the floor with the tip of his shoe.

"Well, goodnight Kairi. See you on Monday." He said rather lamely, giving her a short wave before walking down the steps towards his car.

"Goodnight." She said, turning to go inside.

"Oh and Kairi?"

"Yes?"

"A deals a deal… I'll leave you alone." She thought she saw a flicker of disappointment in his eyes before he turned and got into his car, driving off into the night.

Kairi stood in her doorway watching his retreating car. The fact that she no longer had to deal with Sora Daniels was slowly sinking in. As she stepped inside, an odd, foreign feeling that she couldn't quite place, settled into the pit of her stomach.

--

**Author's Note:** Thanks for all the reviews I've been getting, you guys are great! What do you think of the chapter? **Review** and tell me how it was!


	8. Unusual Behavior

**Chapter Eight: Unusual Behavior**

Kairi shifted in her bed, trying to get comfortable. She just couldn't get back to sleep. It didn't help that she hadn't shut her shade last night and was now paying the price as light seeped into her room, coincidentally right on her face. Kairi groaned, rolling onto her stomach to bury her face into the pillow. She had gotten home around eleven last night and had thankfully evaded her mother's questions and went straight to bed. Today she wouldn't be so lucky.

A rustle of movement beside the bed caused Kairi to open her eyes.

"Ah!" Kairi yelled, bolting up in bed.

"Morning hon." Jayna said, sitting on a chair beside her bed.

"My God_,_ don't _do that!_"

"What?" Her mother replied innocently, sipping her coffee.

"Pop up like that... I thought you were upstairs sleeping."

"Well I was… then I woke up." Jayna replied, grinning.

Kairi huffed, leaning back against her pillows.

"So…?"

"So… What?"

Jayna looked at her expectantly, "How was it?"

"How was what?" Kairi asked, playing dumb.

"Oh come on Kairi! How was the date? I'm like dying here." Her mother said desperately, grabbing Kairi's arm and shaking it.

Kairi sighed, "It was… okay I guess."

"Okay? Define Okay."

"Well…" Kairi continued, a thoughtful look on her face. "It was... I don't know, just okay. He wasn't a huge jerk but he was... well, himself a few times. At some points he was actually kind of nice, which is a shocker. It was a bit boring but overall I suppose it was alright. Who knew I could get through an evening alone with Sora Daniels and not kill him?"

"Huh. Well, where'd he take you?"

"Some ship on the mainland that comes once a year. Fancy of course, trying to impress me as much as he can."

"Wow. Well… You think he'll leave you alone?"

Kairi shrugged her shoulders, "I have no idea. I hope he does. I mean, he said he would but knowing Daniels… I'm not going to hold my breath. But if he does continue to bug me after promising he wouldn't… I'll give him hell for it."

"That's my girl." Jayna said, smiling at Kairi. "Oh I have something for you, wait right here."

"What is it?" Kairi yelled after her mother curiously.

"Just a sec."

Kairi sat wondering what her mother was up to as she listened to some shuffling in the other room.

"Okay." Jayna said, smirking lightly while hiding something behind her back.

"What?" Kairi asked warily, eyeing her mother.

"Well I did some thinking last night and…" Her mother paused, revealing what was in her hands, "I thought these would be the perfect flowers to use for the wedding. Your's and Sora's I mean. "

"Ugh, stop it."

"What, you don't like the flowers Sora got you?" Jayna asked, feigning shock.

"_Mom_."

"Wow. I'm shocked, really. Better not let Sora hear about this or it might hurt his feelings. But come on Kairi, let's be realistic here. You already went on a date with him, it's only a matter of time before you marry him."

"You're really mean." Kairi grumped, before getting out of bed. "And as payment you can give me your coffee." She quickly plucked the cup out of her mothers hands before smiling and walking out of the room.

"Oh and Mom," Kairi said, turning back to her mother, an evil grin intact. "You know, if we decide not to go with those flowers for the wedding, you could always have them at yours and Topher's."

Jayna scowled at her daughter, "We're just friends."

"Uh-huh." Kairi hummed before making her way to the living room to watch TV.

--

The rest of the weekend rolled by quickly and before she knew it, Kairi was walking through the doors of St. Caspian's. She was anxious at what the day would bring. She was worried Sora wouldn't keep his end of the bargain, or worse… he'd told the entire school about the two of them dating. Kairi shuddered. She did not want to be the topic of everyone's conversations yet again today. She could only hope Sora had stuck to his word and wouldn't be the jackass she knew he was capable of being.

As she made her way down the hall to her locker, Kairi gratefully noticed the lack of stares in her direction. In fact, not one person had directed their attention towards her. _'Good,' _Kairi thought to herself, breathing a sigh of relief. _'At least he didn't tell anyone.'_

Kairi opened her locker and grabbed her books, expecting Daniels to come up to her locker any second and start hitting on her horrendously… But he never came. Shrugging she made her way to her first hour class, scanning the hallway for a head of spiky brown hair. As she walked into the classroom a horrible thought made her sink into her chair. What if the reason why no one was talking about it was because he wasn't here today? What if he came tomorrow and caused trouble for her?

Kairi shook her head, trying not to think so negatively before pulling out a book to read until class began.

"Hey Kairi." Selphie said, walking in with Roxas a few minutes later.

Kairi looked up and smiled at her two friends. "Hey, how was your weekend?"

"Boring." Roxas exclaimed, taking the seat behind her.

"Mine was great!" Selphie said, turning to Kairi in the seat across from her. "I went shopping and got a whole bunch of clothes…" As Selphie went on to describe, in detail, each article of clothing she now possessed, Kairi looked up and saw Sora wander into the room. He turned and walked to the back of the class, taking his usual seat. His friends were beside him messing around as usual.

What made her stare though was the fact that he was so… calm. Which was incredibly rare. Sora Daniels was never calm. He usually came strutting into class, laughing and joking with his friends, being a disturbance as they pushed each other around. Today however, he merely sat at his desk and pulled out his notebook, hardly partaking in the ruckus that Riku and Hayner were displaying.

"Kairi!"

"Huh?" Kairi said, snapping her attention back to Selphie.

"I said, how was your weekend?"

"Oh." She said, her eyes flickering back to Sora briefly before giving her full attention to Selphie. "It was fine, boring like Roxas'."

She hadn't told Selphie about the date with Sora the other night, and she didn't plan to. For one, Selphie was the gossip queen of the grade. She knew everything and anything exciting going on in the school. Not that Selphie would go spreading rumors about her, but she didn't want her to accidentally slip and say something. Kairi didn't want to deal with all of the gossip that would surround her if people found out she had finally caved and dated Sora. Two, no matter how she tried to explain the situation to Selphie, Selphie would believe that it was more than what it seemed. She'd think they were finally together and that was something Kairi did _not_ want anyone to think.

Roxas on the other hand… She could tell him, but he'd most likely act a bit smug. He'd always joked that Kairi would end up falling for Sora... no girl could resist him. She'd be more than a little embarrassed telling Roxas she had gone on a date with Sora, especially after how defiant she was to never do that. He'd never let her live it down, even if he understood her reasons.

They talked for a few more minutes, Selphie leading the conversation, when Mr. Hobart came into the room.

"In your seats please." He called to the class, waiting for the students to seat themselves before continuing. "We'll be watching a video today instead of working on our projects. Take good notes, there will be a short quiz at the end of the period."

He walked to the wall of the classroom, flicking off the light before turning on the TV and placing the tape into the VCR.

Kairi pulled out her notebook and a pencil, paying close attention to the video. After thirty minutes of watching a man drone on and on about the periodic table, Kairi was lightly dozing in her seat when she felt a tap on her shoulder.

She jerked, fully awake and turned around. She raised a questioning eyebrow at Roxas.

"Daniels has been staring at you for a while."

Kairi quickly whipped her head in his direction, her eyes meeting his for a split second. He gave her a brief smile before looking quickly away, embarrassed at getting caught.

To say she was shocked would be an understatement. She'd never seen him blush before and he actually smiled at her. Usually if he caught her eye across the room, he'd give her his most charming smile before making some flirting gesture.

Kairi turned back around, studying her desk. She sat deep in thought the rest of the period, thinking mostly about Sora Daniels' new and odd behavior.

--

"I wish the food here was better." Selphie complained, scooping up a spoonful of food before letting it slowly plop back onto her plate.

"Uh, gross Selphie. Please don't ever do that again."

"Didn't your mother ever tell you not to play with your food?" Roxas asked teasingly, "Besides, I think the food tastes good."

Selphie rolled her eyes, "That's because you're a boy, you'll eat anything."

Roxas grinned, scooping a mouthful of the slop into his mouth.

"At least it's better than public school food." Kairi said. She'd decided to go with the Salisbury steak and mash potatoes. It looked way less dangerous than the alleged beef stew they were eating.

"True." Roxas mumbled through a mouthful of soup.

Selphie looked at him with disgust.

"Anyway, Kairi do you know what's up with Sora?"

"What do you mean?"

"Come on, you had to of noticed. He hasn't talked to you all day, what's up with that?"

"Err… I don't know." Kairi said, feigning ignorance.

"Maybe he's moved on? Finally took the hint and realized Kairi won't date him." Roxas said, taking a swig of his milk.

"No way. Kairi and Sora are meant for each other. Sora wouldn't give up just like that after spending a year and a half pining for her."

"We are not meant for each other Selphie, give it a rest already."

Selphie gave Kairi an irritated look, huffing before turning back to her food.

Kairi picked up a scoopful of potatoes, shoving them into her mouth. As she ate, she glanced up and saw Sora enter the cafeteria. He made his way over to his table, Hayner and Riku pulling up a seat beside him. Once again his behavior confused Kairi. He didn't scan the room for her like he usually did.

After lunch, Kairi was just about to step into her Literature class when she smacked into someone.

"Sorry." Kairi mumbled politely as she bent to pick up her books. "I wasn't watching where I was going."

"It's okay." Came a soft, masculine reply that made Kairi's head shoot up.

There was Daniels, in the process of picking up their books.

"Sorry about that." He muttered, giving her a quick smile. He handed her books back to her while continuing to stare into her eyes. Kairi could have swore she saw a tinge of sadness in them before he broke contact, walking into the classroom.

Hours later, Kairi walked to her locker, glad to finally be able to go home. Today had been long and boring. She opened her bag and filled it with the books she needed for the night, before slamming it shut. She looked up out of habit to search for Sora, usually to avoid him, but found him no where.

Kairi made her way to the bench outside, pulling her jacket out of her bag and wrapping herself in it. She shivered from the cold, pulling out her book and reading once again as she waited for the bus. She was so immersed in her book after a few minutes that she hadn't noticed Sora spot her from across the parking lot. He slowly made his way towards her, hands in his pockets then stopped a few seconds later. He gazed at her for a long moment before he shook his head and walked back to his car.

--

"Mom I'm home."

"Hey hon." Jayna said, walking into the kitchen to sit by her daughter. "How was your day?"

"Uh… long and boring. A bit confusing too."

"Why's that?"

"Sora didn't bother me all day."

Jayna stared at her questioningly, "Wasn't that the point of the date?"

"Well yeah, I mean, I'm not complaining. It was nice to have a quiet day for once. It was just… weird. I'm not used to it."

"Well, maybe he really is just trying to keep to his word."

"Yeah."

They sat in silence for a few minutes, each lost in their own thoughts.

"Hey I have an idea." Jayna said, turning to Kairi.

"What?"

"Do you have a lot of homework?"

Kairi shook her head, "None that's due anytime soon anyways. Why?"

"Well…" Her mother started, a grin forming on her face, "Want to go to Topher's?"

"Yes." Kairi said, immediately standing, "I could really use some of his coffee."

Jayna stood as well, linking her arm through Kairi's, "Okay then, let's go!"

It took then nearly ten minutes to get to Topher's, since they (meaning Jayna) had decided to walk there.

"Oh my God, its _freezing _outside!" Her mother exclaimed as she ran into the restaurant.

"I told you." Kairi said, shrugging off her jacket and putting it on the back of her chair, "But did you listen…?"

"Alright, alright. Next time, we take the car."

They sat down, waiting a few minutes before Topher came over.

"What can I get you two today?"

"You could get me a teleportation device so I don't have to walk home in the cold."

Topher gave her a puzzled look, "Why didn't you just use your car? That's what you have it for right? To get from point A to point B?"

Jayna threw him an annoyed look, "No, I got it so my driveway wouldn't look so bare and empty."

"Well, that's a weird reason to get a car." Topher mused, teasing her.

"Ugh, just go away." Jayna said, huddling herself into a little ball to protect her from the imaginary cold.

"Alright then."

"No wait!" Jayna said, sitting up, "Two large coffees and a piece of apple pie."

Topher jotted her order down, muttering something about being bipolar before turning to Kairi.

"What would you like Kairi?"

"Just one coffee and a piece of apple pie please."

He smiled at her, "Coming right up." He turned to go back to the kitchen, throwing Jayna an irritated look. "You could use to learn some manners from your daughter you know."

Jayna simply smiled, "The service here is just so wonderful and friendly isn't it Kairi? I mean, you can feel the love. Really it's top notch."

He gave her a disgruntled look before walking back behind the counter.

Jayna wrapped her arms around herself, trying to get warm.

"Oh come on Mom, it's not that cold."

"Yes it is!" She exclaimed indignantly.

"No it's not, I'm only wearing a sweater. You're just being a baby." Kairi teased.

Jayna's eyes light up as an idea struck her, "Can I have your jacket?"

Confused, Kairi pulled it off the back of her chair and handed it to her mother.

"Thanks!" Jayna said, before putting it on her lap so it covered her legs.

Kairi laughed, shaking her head. She looked like a complete idiot.

"What are you doing?" Topher asked, coming back with their pies.

"I'm cold."

Topher just shook his head, placing the pies in front of them before returning with their coffee.

"Thanks Topher." Kairi said, sighing as she took the first sip.

"Yeah, thanks." Jayna said quickly, downing a mouthful.

"Oh my God, that's hot! Why didn't you tell me?"

"Tell you what?"

"That the coffee's hot."

"Uh," Topher said, "I kind of thought that was a no brainer." He shrugged and turned around, leaving them alone.

"Ugh! Glad he's so concerned I'm hurt."

Kairi chose not to comment, merely sipping away at her coffee.

"So," Jayna said some minutes later, taking a bite of her pie. "How long do you think Sora will keep this up?"

Kairi sat back, "I don't know. I hope till the end of high school but that could be asking too much. He was good about it today though."

"Do you think he still likes you?"

"Nope. I don't think he ever did. I mean, he was sure quick to stop talking to me right? He achieved his goal of getting me to date him and now he's leaving me alone."

"But that was part of the deal wasn't it?"

"Yeah but, you'd think if he honestly had feelings for me that wouldn't stop him. He would have never made the deal to begin with. Just shows that I wasn't that important after all. But it's a win-win, so I'm happy."

"Huh."

"At least he didn't go around the school telling everyone we went on a date."

"Do Selphie and Roxas know?"

"No, I didn't tell them. I might eventually but I don't exactly want Selphie to slip and tell people."

"Ah, yeah Selphie has a love for gossip."

Kairi nodded, eating her food while Jayna studied her daughter. Kairi was still able to complain about Sora even when he hadn't talked to her all day, giving her no reason to do so. A small, knowing smile formed on her face as she began to eat her food.

Ten minutes later, they were done with their order.

"Topher, we need the bill!" Jayna yelled to him.

A few minutes later Topher came over, "Why do you need the bill? You know how much every item on the menu costs."

"I know, just want to be sure."

"Right, you just want to make more work for me." He mumbled under his breath. Sighing, he wrote up a bill before handing it to her.

"Thanks." She put money down on the table and stood up. "Now… how to get home."

"Walk."

"Uh, no, don't want to do that again." Jayna shivered, automatically wrapping her arms around herself. "Oh, I know!" She exclaimed, turning to face Topher, "Could I borrow your car?"

"For what?"

"To drive home."

"But how would I get it back?"

"I'd bring it back to you tomorrow."

He snorted, "No."

"Come on Topher _please_."

"No."

"For me?"

He looked at her, his lip twitching slightly as he fought back a smile. "No."

"For Kairi? I mean look at her Topher, she's just skin and bones!"

"And I'm sure Kairi was smart enough to try to get you to take the car."

"… That's beside the point. Anyways, I was trying to fill my exercise quota for the day."

"You hate exercise. In fact, you hate any form of activity that doesn't involve moving your thumb to flip through the channels. You always get hurt."

Jayna gasped, offended. "That's so not true. I walk through the mall just fine without my legs cramping up."

Topher blankly stared at her before pointing towards the door, "You've got to learn your lesson."

"Oh, come on Topher. _Please?_" She asked, giving him her best puppy dog look.

He sighed, his shoulders slumping in defeat, "I'll drive you home."

"Thanks Topher, I owe you one!" Jayna said, kissing him lightly on the cheek before running out the door to his car.

Kairi saw Topher blush before he quickly turned around, trying to hide it from her.

"Ready to go?"

"Yup, thanks Topher. I would have had to listen to her complain the whole way home."

"Well, glad I could spare you that hardship." He said, smiling at her as he opened the door.

Kairi walked outside and hopped into the car with her mother, looking over as Topher got in. She listened to their playful banter for a moment before Kairi turned to look out the window and smiled. _'Wonder when they'll set the date?'_

_--_

**Author's Note:** Hey everyone. I'm really sorry about the _long_ wait but I've been a bit busy this month and add writer's block to that… Well that's why it's so late. Thanks to a few people who pointed out those writing errors. I usually write my chapters pretty late at night so I'll make sure to pay more attention from now on. Anyways I hope you liked the chapter. Make sure to **Review**. I'll update in a few days. Happy Reading!


	9. Subdued

**Chapter Nine: Subdued**

"I just don't get it."

"What?"

"He's still ignoring you."

Kairi sighed, shutting her locker. They were in the hallway getting ready for their first class.

"It's no big deal Selphie."

"But it is! He's never gone a full day without talking to you, let alone three!" Selphie's face turned to worry, "Maybe something's wrong with him?"

"Nothing's wrong with him." Kairigroaned, wishing Selphiewould just give it a rest already. She looked down the hall to Daniels, who was standing at his locker, his sidekicks no where to be found. He quietly took his books out of his bag and headed to class.

"But… But I mean _look _at him! He just… _Stands _there like you aren't even in the hallway! Not to mention how quiet he is lately. I seriously think something might…"

"You're making a big deal out of nothing, Selph… He's probably just moved on, exactly like I said he would." Kairi interrupted as she looked down at her black shoes. That foreign feeling began to rise inside of her again, the one she could never quite pinpoint what it was. But quickly, she pushed it to the back of her mind, in an attempt to focus on what her best friend was telling her.

That didn't help.

"You guys were made for each other Kai! He's not just going to give up on you. Surely something happened, and I am _determined _to find out what it is."

Kairi felt herself worrying a little. When Selphie wanted to get to the bottom of something in the world of gossip, she normally found what she was looking for.

"It's nothing!" She snapped in a slightly sharp manner. Selphie took that as her cue to stop with the subject, but she couldn't do so without once last comment.

"Alright Kairi, I'll leave the subject alone, in front of you that is. But as far as I'm concerned…" She smiled and waved, walking into the classroom, leaving a slightly dumbfounded Kairi in the doorway.

Shaking her head she walked in as well.

Kairi slipped into her usual seat, talking to Roxas and Selphie for about ten minutes when Mr. Hobart hustled into the classroom.

"Good morning everyone. I hope you're all ready to work, you'll be working on your projects today."

Kairi groaned slightly, looking over towards Sora who merely stared at his desk. How was she suppose to go through a full class period with him? It would be completely awkward.

"So I won't delay you any longer, get to it."

Kairi pulled out her notebook and a pencil and began to work as the other students milled around her. She sat at her desk for a few moments but looked up when she hadn't noticed Sora sit beside her. Kairi scanned the room for him and found him still in his seat, writing.

Confused, Kairi got up and walked over to him. Why was he acting so strange?

"Hey." Kairi said politely, taking a seat beside him.

Sora's head shot up as he looked at her in surprise.

"Oh, hi." He said somewhat awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck. "What are you doing over here?"

"We're suppose to work on our projects aren't we?"

"Yeah, I know, I just thought you'd prefer… Never mind."

Kairi shrugged and began to work, and she was surprised to find Sora working silently beside her.

She sneaked a peak at him from the corner of her eye. He was hunched over his desk, a look of hard concentration on his face. What the hell was wrong with him? Where were the jokes, the flirting… where was Daniels? Maybe Selphie was right, something had to of been wrong. He was so... subdued. It was one thing to not talk to her after the date, it had been a part of the deal, but now that she thought about it, he really hadn't talked to anyone else in the school since then as far as she saw. Kairi sat waiting for him to crack a joke, but it never came.

A long five minutes passed until she couldn't take the silence anymore.

"So how's the lie detector coming?"

"It's alright, kind of confusing but I'm getting there." Sora smiled lightly before going back to his work.

"Good."

"So…" Sora said slowly, pulling out a sheet of paper from his folder, "I um, printed off some more interesting things I found out about lie detectors." He handed the sheet to Kairi, his face a tad red. "I know you already said you were done with getting the info but… well I thought you might like it."

"Wow." Kairisaid, taking the sheet from him, "You actually did some work willingly huh?" She teased, sendinghim a crooked grin. She was pleasantly shocked that he actually did something.

Kairiwatched as he opened his mouth, a hint of his normal mischief in his eyes before he retreated back into his shell, the spark quickly disappearing.

"Yeah, well…" He shrugged. Kairi got the impression he had more to say but instead turned back to his work.

Thirty minutes later class was dismissed and Kairi went back to her desk to gather up her things. They were the last in the room.

"Thanks for the notes." Kairi said, trying to fill the void that surrounded them.

Sora smiled, "Anytime, if you've got anymore work that you need help with just tell me."

Kairinodded, "Alright, I think I'm pretty much set but if anything comes up, I'll let you know."

She gave him a short wave before turning around to pick up her books.

"Hey Sora." Came a voice near the door.

Sora looked up and groaned to himself, watching Yuffie make her way towards him. His eyes briefly flickered to Kairi.

"Err, hi Yuffie." He mumbled, quickly packing up his things.

As he turned to walk out of the classroom a hand stopped him, gently pushing him down into a nearby seat.

"Why don't you talk to me anymore Sora?"

"Uh, I've just been busy lately." Sora lied, staring at her.

Yuffie rolled her eyes before a sly grin formed on her face, "Well, you didn't actually think you could avoid me forever now did you?"

Soraremained quiet, fiddling with his books.

"Um, Yuffie I should really be going…" He attempted to get up but Yuffie swiftly pushed him back down, quickly straddling his waist.

"Oh no Daniels, you're not going anywhere." She whispered seductively before snaking her arms around his neck.

"Yuffie…" Sora said, squirming a bit in an attempt to get out from under the black haired girl.

Yuffie just smirked before placing a light kiss on his jaw.

"What's wrong Sora? No one else is in here… We're all alone."

Sora held back a snort. Obviously the girl hadn't see Kairi, not that that would have stopped her.

"We used to be great together Sora. Why can't we have that again? I miss you, and I know you miss me too. That's why you've been so quiet lately, because we're not together." Yuffie ignored his slight struggling as she leaned in, kissing him hard.

She pulled back a few moments later, giving him a wide grin. "I think we should get back together Sora. It's what we both want."

Sora shook his head. The girl was so self centered.

He spent the next five minutes trying to get Yuffie off of him as his body started to react to her advances. But by the time he finally got free of Yuffie's grip, Kairi was gone.

--

Kairi quickly hustled out of the classroom, her face flushed red with embarrassment. Why do people do things like that in public? It was so inappropriate. _'Couldn't they have just gotten a room? Do that elsewhere, they don't need to broadcast it to the entire school.'_

Kairi shook her head, slamming her locker shut. Sora had been acting differently lately, almost like an new and improved version of himself but Kairi supposed some things never change. She took a deep breath determined to clear her thoughts. Who cares what Sora and Yuffie did?

--

Sora sat down at a small lunch table, picking at his food. He occasionally looked up to glance around the room for any sign of Yuffie so if she did show up, he could avoid her by any means necessary. Breathing a temporary sigh of relief when he didn't see her, he turned back and listened to his two friends mess around beside him, throwing food at some other friends across the table. He couldn't believe what Yuffie had done today in class, especially with Kairi right there! He was so unbelievable embarrassed. They had actually been getting along somewhat too but of course, Yuffie had to come in and ruin it. Sora sighed for what seemed like the hundredth time today, catching the attention of his two friends.

"What's up?" Hayner asked through a mouthful of food.

"Nothing." Sora mumbled, turning away from the two. Sora couldn't really talk to his two friends about the Kairi situation… they wouldn't understand. They'd most likely just tell him to hook up with someone else and forget about her, but he couldn't.

"It's not 'nothing'. You've been in a funk all week, what's with you man?"

"I said, it's nothing." Sora snapped lightly, hoping to put an end to the conversation.

Riku rolled his eyes at his friend's attitude.

"Come Sora, what is it?"

"Nothing!" Sora exclaimed, poundinghis fist on the table, "I said nothingwas wrong, give it a rest already!"

Riku and Hayner exchanged a look before they both shrugged, turning back to their food.

The trio sat in silence for a long minute before Hayner quickly whipped his head up, a look of comprehension on his face.

"What?" Sora snapped yet again, irritated with his friend.

Hayner smiled sadly at Sora, face full of sympathy.

"Yuffie?"

"Huh?" Sora questioned, baffled. His eyes darted around the room as he ducked low in his seat, trying to be as invisible as he could.

"It's Yuffie isn't it?"

Sora nearly choked on a mouthful of food.

"Yuffie?"

"Yeah," Hayner said, "You're upset about the breakup with Yuffie? It's understandable man, she's the hottest girl in school."

"You think I'm upset about Yuffie?"

"Yeah." Hayner replied simply, munching on his food.

Sora chuckled slightly. He liked his friends, but Hayner was so completely dense.

"No Hayner, it's not Yuffie."

"Whatever."

Hayner returned to throwing food, while Riku and Sora continued to eat their lunch.

After a long lapse in silence between the pair, Riku gave Sora a calculating look.

"It's Kairi isn't it?"

Immediately, Sora's head shot up.

"Wha?" Sora mumbled incoherently, shocked his friend had caught on. Riku was the smartest in their group but Soranever figured he'd paid enough attention to how much he really liked Kairi.

Riku smirked, "Sora, we've been friends since kindergarten. I know you a bit better than you think. You unnecessarily pay attention to that girl way to much to just want to sleep with her. You've gone through a lot of trouble to gain her attention when all you'd have to do is simply wink at another and they'd hop into bed with you. You like her and she keeps rejecting you. That's why you're in a funk isn't it?"

The brunette could feel heat rising towards his cheeks as he sat stock still. "Err, no." He said quickly, embarrassed at having been figured out so easily.

As his friend turned back to the others, talking and conversing less loudly than before, Sora thought about how pathetic he was being. Perhaps he really should just move on. Kairi was just another girl, and although he really liked her because she wasn't just some fan girl of his,there were plenty of fish in the sea. It was obvious that he couldn't win her over by his looks and she wouldn't fall for his real personality either. She just wasn't budging.

Sighing slightly he picked up his fork and stabbed at a piece of cafeteria food violently. For a moment, he preoccupied himself with the thought of what it would be like if Kairi actually felt the same. He smiled, imagining what it would be like to wrap his arms around her and kiss her whenever he wanted. He remembered the feeling of holdingher in his arms that night on the ship and he honestly felt nothing could compare to that. Just simply holding Kairi was better than any experience he had ever had with another girl. He'd thought he'd died and gone to heaven that night.

Shaking the random thought out of his head, he watched a certain redhead walk into the spacious room. He tilted his head, eyes glimmering fondly as she placed a stray strand of crimson hair behind her ear. Her eyes danced as she laughed at something the blonde in front of her said.

In a lot of ways, he very much envied Roxas. He didn't know the guy, Roxas was a bit _too _shy, but he caught Kairi's attention. Even if it wasn't romantically, he still had her as a friend. She was able to feel comfortable around him, and Sora wondered just how he did it - how he managed to make her laugh and not bore her to tears, or get her angry with him.

He watched as she turned around to face her brunette friend… Selphie, he believed her name was. Now there was someone who was extremely hyper, and somewhat obnoxious, yet Kairi still liked her. It was times like these Sora really wondered what exactly he was doing wrong. Perhaps it was the way he presented himself. Maybe if he acted like a friend first... she might glance at him long enough to notice who he really was. A nice guy, not the jerk that she rightfully perceived him as.

Sora sat up a little straighter in his chair at the thought. Maybe that's it. He'd always taken the flirting approach with Kairi and even when he was just trying to be nice, he'd always wanted Kairi in a romantic way and she rebuffed him each time he asked her out. Maybe all he had to do was be her friend and the rest would fall into place.

Standing up and mumbling a goodbye to his friends, he threw his food away and made his way to the exit of the lunch room. He had a lot to think about.

Sora walked past the lunch line, noticing right away the immediate tenseness of the three, as if they anticipated him coming over to bug Kairi. He couldn't really blame them, that's what he'd always done until a few days ago. Any chance he could get to gain Kairi's attention, by either talking to her or annoying her, he had always taken. Sora was sure it was incredibly weird for all of them that he didn't now, but he was also sure they liked it better this way.

As he glanced backwards, sapphire orbs locked with violet. Their gazes met for a split second (but what felt like an eternity for Sora) until Kairi's eyes widened. Sora turned around just in time to smack face first into the cafeteria door. He stumbled backwards, cursing loudly and grabbing his nose. He moaned as he tried to shake the dizziness away from his vision.

He turned around, face flushed red with embarrassment as a number of eyes stared at him, including Kairi and her friends. Sora cursed once last time before speeding out of the cafeteria.

--

**A/N:** **Hello everyone! I'm really sorry for the late update, I've just been really busy and have had huge writer's block. Not a very good combination but it's better now, I already have the next chapter done (for the most part).**

**It's come to my attention from some reviews that this story sounds a lot like Gilmore Girls. The thing is, this idea was originally for Gilmore Girls, therefore the setting and a few relationships (Kairi/Jayna Topher/Jayna) may sound similar. I found myself thinking more and more that the idea would be better used for Kingdom Hearts. I understand that some of you might think that this story is just like Gilmore Girls and it follows it too closely (which I partially regret doing now but it had to be done for plot reasons)… But it won't be like the show for long, a lot of different stuff is going to happen. If you could all just hang tight and wait for the story to unfold a bit more, it won't resemble Gilmore Girls all that much, just the beginning is a bit similar while we get into the story. I kept some of the relationships and things the same because it goes along with what happens in this story in later chapters. Everything else in the story (plot, ex...) are my own ideas.**

**I appreciate all of the feedback from you, but I figured enough people had pointed this out where I should address it. Please review! I hope you enjoyed the chapter. : )**


	10. Secret's Out

**Chapter Ten: Secret's Out**

Kairi sat in her science class completely bored. For once, she didn't care about the lessons, or the notes being written quickly on the board. Of course she was writing them down, but comprehending them was a completely different story.

There was a reason that the redhead could not concentrate on her work. It was because a certain someone with spiky chocolate hair, who happened to sit right in front of her. Her excuse, if asked, would have been because his head and hair were too big and she simply could not see the board, but there were other reasons she would dare not tell anyone.

The fact was, his behavior was really bothering her. She had never seen him act like this before, leaving her alone that is. And the fact that she couldn't figure out _why_ he was holding up his end of the bargain was truly irking her, making her unable to focus on whatever she was doing today.

She leaned back in her chair, eyes set on the brown scene in front of her. Take now for example. Normally in class, he'd be goofing off with Riku, who sat conveniently next to him. But today, Riku was paying attention and although he tried at the beginning of class, Sora just didn't seem to want to mess around. He was sitting with perfect posture, taking notes as if he were the number one student in the class. Which he obviously wasn't - Kairi was.

She was so unbelievably confused.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of sitting and thinking about the brunette, the bell rang. Kairi walked down the hallway, heading towards her locker, just waiting for the day to get over so she could go to Topher's. So far it hadn't really been a horrible day or anything, but it was just beginning. The Sora issue was bugging her more than usual.

Before she could dial in her combo, Selphie quickly dashed in front of her. She was leaning over with her hands on her knees, completely out of breath. The current state of her friend made Kairi worry slightly. Selphie never had a hair out of place but right now, her hair was completely disheveled, and her clothes wrinkled. Whatever Selphie had to say, it was going to be big.

"Selphie…?"

Shaking her head and waving her hand for Kairi to wait, Selphie slowly got her breathing back to normal as Roxas walked up to the pair, giving Kairi an odd, puzzled look.

"What's up with her?" Kairi asked completely befuddled.

"We heard…"

"Why didn't you tell me you went on a date with Sora!" Came Selphie's indignant cry beside her male best friend.

Kairi's gaze quickly flashed to Selphie.

"What?" Was all the girl could muster.

But the brunette seemed to not have heard her in the midst of her ranting state.

"I mean, we're best friends Kairi. Or at least, I thought we were. I walk into my English class and sit at my desk, checking out Tidus, minding my own business when I overhear Yuffie complaining to Tifa about Sora going on a date with you. At first I couldn't and didn't believe it, until nearly the whole class contributed in on the conversation. I mean, what's up with that Kairi?"

Selphie finally turned to look at an ashen faced Kairi, piercing the redhead with her accusing green eyes.

"Why didn't you tell me?" She continued, hurt, waiting for an explanation from her best friend.

Kairi stood in shock, staring at Selphie. She slowly looked to Roxas, silently pleading for a explanation with her eyes.

Roxas merely shrugged, "I heard about it in gym."

Kairi looked between the two, hoping also for some sort of explanation, but receiving none. Selphie stood with her hand on her hip in a firm 'tell me what I want to know or you'll get it' stance; while Roxas stood calmly waiting for Kairi to speak, but had nearly the same intense curiosity shinning in his eyes.

Kairi couldn't breath. She literally couldn't breath. Slowly the noise circulating around her disappeared in her mild panic attack. How would they know? It had been a week since the date. She hadn't told anyone. Know one besides her and Sora knew about it. Sora wouldn't…

Before either one of them could say another word, Kairi was dashing down the hall. Tears of anger formed over her violet eyes, blocking her vision. She pushed her way through the sea of students until she saw what, or presumably, _who_ she was looking for.

Marching up to the cocky, arrogant, conceited play boy, she grabbed the shocked teen by the front of his shirt and dragged him down the hall, where it was less populated. The infuriated redhead pushed him as hard as she could.

"Kairi, what the…?"

"YOU-YOU…" Was all that Kairi got out; she was seeing red.

"Kairi?"

"SHUT UP, JUST SHUT _UP_!"

Stunned, Sora stood silently against the wall, daring not to move a muscle.

"I can't believe what a self centered, egotistical, ass you are!"

Kairi paced up and down in front of him.

"I am so _sick and tired_ of it! No matter what I do, no matter how nice or polite I am to you, you go and do this!"

Sora continued to stand quietly beside her as she waved her hands around in the air like a mad man. His imploring eyes must have caught her attention because she quickly whirled around to stand three feet in front of him.

"Don't you dare sit there and look at me all innocent, like you don't know what the hell you did."

Sora continued to stare at her.

Kairi glared at him before suddenly all the energy seemed to fly right out of her. It was like all the air rushing out of a popped balloon. Her shoulders slouched in defeat, leaving her with the most miserable, helpless look on her face.

"Why Sora? What on earth did I do to deserve this? I must have morally offended the gods in a past life to deserve something so cruel. Why me? Of all the girls in this entire school, you have to terrorize _me_. Why?"

At Sora's consistent silence she turned to face him.

"I thought… I thought I could trust you. I thought we had an agreement. You took me out on a date and in exchange you left me alone. I thought it was obvious that I didn't want anyone to know about it. It was an unspoken agreement between us. But I forgot we were dealing with you." Kairi growled, throwing him a disgusted look. She sighed, rubbing her hands over her face, "You haven't talked to me in a week and you still manage to make my life a living hell."

The two stood in silence as the nearby students tried to inch closer to the couple, without drawing Kairi's attention. They sure as hell didn't want the wrath of the angry redhead focused of them. The school had had a serious dry spell in the gossip world for the past week, and here they had front row seats. Everyone had been starting to miss the infamous fights between the pair, thinking maybe it was over.

Boy had they been wrong.

They cautiously crept forward, like leeches swarming in on their next victim. They didn't want to miss a moment of the action.

"Kairi," Sora slowly said after a few minutes of silence. "I honestly don't know what you're talking about."

Kairi whipped her head up, shooting daggers at the brunette. The audience cringed; she got her second wind.

"You don't know what I'm talking about?" Kairi whispered incredulously, face bright red.

Sora gulped but shook his head.

"I bet _they _know what I'm talking about," Kairi railed, pointing at the gathering crowd some ways down the hall, "Because it's all over the entire damn school!" She shouted, furious once again.

"You know, I spent the entire week pondering your behavior. Why the hell is he being so weird? Why is he ignoring me? I thought maybe, just _maybe_ you really would keep your word and not say anything and just leave me alone. Obviously I was a complete idiot to believe that. To believe you could change at all and be a decent person. Now I know it was just the calm before the storm. What, you wanted to give me a false sense of security before you dropped the bomb and embarrass me beyond belief?"

"Kairi…"

"No… No Daniels." The redhead interrupted, shaking her head. Her voice became dangerously low once again, "Don't talk to me. Don't look at me. Don't even _think_ about me ever again. If _anything_ like this happens again, I'll go to the principle about you harassing me. I don't care how much money your daddy's forked up to keep you in here, I'll be damned if you continue to stay if anything like this happens again. Stay the hell away from me and just leave me alone!"

Kairi shot him one last withering glare and, shaking with barely suppressed rage, she tore down the hall like a wild tornado, fueled by her incessant anger.

--

Sora walked through the hall, numb with disbelief. What the hell was that all about? He'd _never_seen Kairi that angry before and he'd been on the receiving end of her fury countless times. What really threw him more than Kairi's anger was that everyone knew about the date. How the hell did they know? He'd never told anyone before. Well, that wasn't entirely true, he had told _someone_.

_--_

"_Sora, we're friends right?"_

_Sora looked up from the bench to see Riku standing before him, arms crossed, leaning against the gym lockers._

"_Yeah, of course."_

_Riku nodded before taking a seat beside him._

"_Well as friends, you know that if there was ever anything you wanted to talk about, I'm here right? I mean, that's what friends are for. I don't mean to sound all sappy on you man, but well… we've been best friends since we were five and we've always had each other's back. Through all the bullshit we've both been through. So, if you ever need to talk or anything, just tell me ok?"_

_Sora sighed, running a hand through unruly his hair._

"_Is it that obvious something's wrong with me?"_

_Riku smirked, "Yeah, the entire school is wondering what the hell is up with you. Rinoa even set up a fundraiser for you, thinking you've got some sort of terminal disease."_

_Sora laughed, shaking his head at the idiocy of some of the girl's in school. It seemed like all the girl's here were like this, with one big exception. _

"_What is it Sora?" Riku asked at the look on his friend's face._

_Sora sighed, his brow furrowed. Should he tell him?_

"_Kairi?"_

_Sora looked up at his friend and nodded, putting his head in his hands._

"_I just don't know what to do about her."_

_Riku studied the brunette, never having seen him like this before. If Sora Daniels got this upset about a girl, she obviously met something to him. _

"_Well, as your friend, it is my duty to help you in any way that I can. So how about you start from the beginning?"_

_Sora lifted his head from his hands and gave Riku a crooked smile._

"_Alright, it all started…"_

_--_

He had told Riku everything about Kairi in the strictest confidence, he just couldn't believe Riku would do something like this to him.

'_Best friend my ass.'_Sora fumed silently to himself, stalking down the hall in search of his so called best friend.

--

"Yeah, so then the cops show up and there he is, half naked and piss drunk. He tries to get away while everyone's running throughout the house, and manages to run smack into a glass door. So not only did the idiot get arrested but he got brought to the hospital for a concussion."

The crowd around Riku laughed as he told a story about one of their friends.

Riku looked up to see Sora racing out of the school, heading in their direction.

"Just a sec guys." Riku muttered to the group, making his was over to his friend.

"Hey Sora, what's up?" The silver haired teen asked as he stared at Sora's oncoming form, slightly concerned.

The brunette marched up to Riku, surprising him by pushing him with all of his might. Riku stumbled backwards, looking up just in time to see a fist flying towards his head. He ducked and avoided another punch to his gut.

"Whoa, hey! Sora, what the hell? Hold on a second!" Riku sputtered as he continued defending himself.

"What the hell is wrong with you!" Sora snarled at his friend, his stance still offensive, ready to take another swing at Riku in a second.

"Wha?"

"Why would you tell the whole damn school about me and Kairi, huh? I thought you were my best friend. And I sat there and listed to all that bullshit you threw at me. 'We're best friends Sora, if there's ever anything you need to talk about, I'm here for you man.' She fucking hates me now, worse than before. Did you think it would be funny or something? Here I am, trying to show her I'm mature and can be a nice guy, that I can leave her alone and keep my word, and you go and ruin the whole damn thing!"

"Sora, I didn't tell anyone about you and Kairi. I told you I wouldn't."

"Yeah, then how does the entire fucking school know about it?"

Riku shrugged, "I don't know, maybe she told someone and word got out?"

Sora rolled his eyes, "Yeah because she's so proud and eager to say that she went on a date with me right?"

Sora came at Riku once again, but stopped himself just short of punching the blue eyed teen.

"We're done. You'll stay the hell away from me if you know what's good for you." Sora spat, stalking off in the opposite direction.

"Sora, wait!" Riku yelled as Hayner made his way across the parking lot towards him.

"What's up with him?" Hayner asked, gesturing towards Sora's retreating figure. He'd seen Sora take a few swings at Riku and was really confused. Sora and Riku where best friends. What pissed him off enough to try and fight Riku?

"Just come on." Riku groaned, running after Sora.

"Sora, wait up!" He yelled once again, not wanting his friend to get away. It was probably best to let him cool off a bit before talking again but he needed to sort this out right now, incase it got any worse.

Sora slammed his car door shut, furious beyond belief. That bastard caused Kairi to hate him even more that she had already. Just what he needed. He'd been doing so well, leaving her alone, trying not to bother her and now…

Hearing the engine roar to life, Sora stepped on the gas. He heard Riku yelling for him but ignored him as best he could.

"SORA WAIT!" He heard loudly and before he knew it, Riku stepped out in front of him.

Slamming on the brakes, he came within a foot of hitting the older teen.

"Get the hell out of the way Hawkins."

"No." Riku said defiantly, giving him a hard look. "Let's talk about this alright? I didn't tell anyone about the date. You've got to believe me."

Sora, rolled his eyes and eased up on the brake, allowing the car to roll a little closer towards Riku.

Backing up, Riku threw up his hands, "Really Sora, I swear. I didn't tell anyone."

"Right, you're the only person I told, so who else could have let the whole school know I went on a date with Kairi?" Sora ground out, more than a little irritated. His patience was growing extremely thin.

"I did."

Sora jerked his head to the left to see Hayner standing off to the side, hands in his pockets, looking back and forth between the feuding teens.

"What?" Sora asked dumbly, staring at the blonde.

"I told everyone."

--

Kairi slammed her locker shut after collecting her things. She was going home early today. She'd told the nurse she wasn't feeling well, which was true (in a sense), and because she never missed any school and never tried to get out before, the nurse let her go. Her reputation was well know. Kairi skipping school was like pigs flying, it just didn't happen. Well today Kairi didn't care that she'd miss classes or that she'd have to borrow Selphie's notes, which weren't the most reliable notes in the world. Most of the time while writing, she'd somehow link the subject to Tidus, her long time crush. They'd been learning about the layers of atmosphere in the sky and somehow Selphie trailed off into how Tidus' football jersey was the same color as the sky and how well it brought out the color in Tidus' deep blue eyes.

But today she didn't care, not one bit. She just wanted to go home.

Kairi made her way down the hall, trying to ignore the stares she received from a few stragglers who were roaming the halls. News of her meltdown had spread like wildfire throughout the gossip needy school and she was beyond embarrassed. She shouldn't have reacted that badly to the news that Sora had told. It really wasn't that big of a shock that he did it, she just thought… Well it didn't matter anymore. What's done was done and she was thankfully going to escape for a few hours and de-stress at home.

Kairi pushed open the door and a strong gust of wind hit her, making her shiver. It was so cold out, but despite this, it was her favorite time of year. The beginning of winter was always the greatest. The whole world was changed for a few magical month, covered with a blanket of fresh snow. Although she loved the beginning of winter when everything was changing, she didn't like it after the Christmas holidays. Then the snow got to be too much. Thankfully it was only the beginning of November and she had a healthy amount of time left before the snow would start to become a nuisance. But until then, she'd enjoy it while it lasted.

As she rounded the corner to the bus stop, she stopped in her tracks at the sight that met her eyes. A few yards from her stood Riku, in front of Daniels' car, Hayner, the biggest dolt of the group, and an extremely mad looking Sora. Groaning to herself, she realized she wouldn't be able to get to the bus stop without them seeing her. Not wanting to have to deal with the idiotic trio, Kairi sat down and leaned against the wall, waiting till they went away.

She closed her eyes as she sat, wrapping herself up in her jacket. She was just about to drift off to sleep when a loud bag jolted her awake. She peeked her head around the corner of the building to see Daniels stalking towards his friend.

"You what!?" She heard him roar.

"I told a few people about the date." Hayner shrugged nonchalantly, "What's the big deal?"

"The big deal is that the entire school now knows about it!"

"… So?"

"Kairi hates me! No, scratch that, it goes far beyond hate. She _despises_ me. She thinks _I _told everyone Hayner!"

She watched Sora stop and wait for a response from Hayner's blank face.

"How did you even know? I told Riku and that was in the strictest confidence. I told him so I could get his opinion on the whole situation…" Sora trailed off, circling around to face Riku.

"You told _him_?" Sora asked in disbelief.

"No, I overheard the two of you talking about it." Hayner interrupted on Riku's behalf. He still didn't understand what the big deal was.

"Y-you, why would you do that!?" Sora cried indignantly.

Hayner shrugged yet again, "I didn't think it was that big of a deal. Aerith asked what was wrong with you and I told her."

Sora merely stared at the blonde. He was dumbfounded by Hayner's sheer stupidity.

"I - we, I mean, you…" Sora muttered incoherently, staring agape at Hayner.

Within an instant, Sora's face turned a horrendous shade of red as he stormed quickly over to Hayner, fist raised.

"Get off me!" Sora yelled, struggling within Riku's grasp. He had come up behind Sora, grabbing his arms and locking them behind his back.

"No. Look Sora, pounding him won't make the situation any better."

"No but it'll make _me_ feel a hell of a lot better."

After a few minutes of struggle between the pair, Riku was getting frustrated.

"Calm down!"

"No."

"I said, _calm down!_"

"Get the hell off me!"

Riku stood his ground, not letting up for a second. "No, not until you've calmed down."

"Look, Sora…" Hayner said, shuffling over towards the pair, "I'm sorry man, I didn't know it would cause this must trouble for you…"

"That's because you don't think York!" Sora yelled, finally breaking free of Riku's strong grasp. He pushed the silver haired boy back, before coming up to Hayner. "Human life and a brain is completely wasted on you. You never think! You don't give a damn about anything other than being cool, getting girls and showing off how much money your parents have!"

Hayner laughed a bit coldly, irritated now, "Oh, like you're any better? How many girls have you gone through Sora? How many times have you done stupid things in school to show off? Isn't that _your _fancy car over there you got from your parents? That's why Kairi won't go out with you. You're a player and a jackass. I said I was sorry and you still won't let it go. You're completely immature and run around here thinking you're king of the school. You harass the hell out of Kairi and she can see right through all the bullshit you throw at her and other girls, that's why she doesn't like you!"

A long moment of silence passed. At Sora's suddenly ridged posture Hayner sighed. Sora wasn't going to forgive him anytime soon... he messed up.

"Look, I'm sorry. Take my apology or leave it, it's up to you."

Hayner turned around and walked away, leaving the trio a duo.

"Well, you know what you can do with your apology Hayner?" Sora yelled after him, still angry. "You can shove it up you're a--"

"Enough Sora." Riku said, clamping a hand over his best friend's mouth. "You're pissed, I get it and you have ever right to be. But well... it's Hayner and he's an idiot, you know that. And you also know he didn't do this in spite of you, he just… Well he's Hayner."

Sora shrugged Riku off, and stood a few feet away. Several seconds past as Sora slowly tried to calm himself.

Kairi watched the whole debacle in shock. So Sora really hadn't told the school to show off or as some elaborate plan to embarrass her, Hayner had.

"What am I going to do Riku? She absolutely hates me now. And I can't apologize and tell her what happened. She'll never believe me."

As he turned around to Riku, Kairi caught a glimpse of Sora's face. Her stomach twisted at the helpless, crushed look he had.

Kairi sat back against the wall as she heard the pair get into Sora's car and drive off. All those things she had said in the hall… she was such an idiot, always jumping the gun. Even if Sora gave her every reason to believe he'd been the one to do it, she shouldn't have just went off like that. She must have hurt him with some of the things she said, not to mention embarrass him too. But why did he care what she thought of him?

Kairi sighed, getting up and heading over towards the bench. There was definitely one feeling she wasn't going to escape by going home today.

Guilt.

--

**A/N: **Greetings readers! Finally a quick (well, quicker) update lol. I hope you liked the chapter, I had a lot of fun writing it. Poor Sora, will he ever catch a break? Thanks a ton for the reviews, keep 'em coming! : )


	11. Invitation

**Chapter Eleven: Invitation**

Kairi sat at a small table in the corner of Topher's, stirring her strawberry milkshake. She sighed resting her cheek against her hand. She'd made a right mess out of things earlier today at school and she couldn't believe how she had acted. She had not only humiliated herself, but Sora too. Kairi felt awful about it, but had no clue how to make things right.

She sighed again, shaking her head slightly to clear it. She didn't want to think about school now. She had come to Topher's to relax and that's exactly what she planned to do.

"Uh, are you ok?"

Kairi lifted her eyes to see Topher standing rather awkwardly in front of her, a concerned looked plastered to his face.

"I'm fine."

"Are you sure? Cause, I mean, you're not drinking coffee... That's got to be a sign of illness."

Kairi gave him a brief smile accompanied with a small shrug.

"I made quiet a fool out of myself at school today."

"Was that Daniels kid involved?"

"Yeah."

Topher frowned, "What did he do?"

Kairi shook her head, "Nothing actually."

"Surprisingly, you mean?"

Kairi chuckled, "Yeah, surprisingly it was _me_ who upset _him_ and I feel awful about it."

"Oh," Topher said, shifting from one foot to the other, seeming embarrassed by giving her advice, "Well, you'll make it right somehow."

Kairi smiled and nodded, sipping the pink liquid from her straw, making some noises in the process. Some people turned to look at her, obviously annoyed.

"I know, how about I whip you up an order of chili cheese fries?"

"That'd be great Topher, thanks."

Topher smiled and nodded, seemingly satisfied he could do something for her in her slightly depressing state, before making his way towards the kitchen.

Kairi gave yet another sigh, sinking back further into her seat. She slowly stirred her drink, mixing the whip cream with the strawberries.

"Kairi!"

Kairi's head shot up and groaned as she saw who was entering the shop. Just what she needed, another round with Selphie and Roxas.

"Kairi!" Selphie said yet again, rushing over to her friend and plopping into a seat, while Roxas made his way over to the two in a much calmer manner.

"Kairi, I…"

"I don't want to hear it Selphie."

"Hear what? How do you know what I'm going to say?"

Kairi rolled her eyes, "Because it's you Selphie. Look, I don't want to talk about what happened at school today alright? So either sit here quietly or go away."

Selphie opened and closed her mouth a few times as Kairi turned back to staring at the table top. The brunette looked over to Roxas who gave a small shrug before sitting down between the two.

The three sat in a heavy silence for some time. Kairi merely sat sipping at her drink while Roxas sat staring out the window. The tension seemed to only be affecting Selphie, as she sat bobbing her knee up and down, trying to distract herself from bothering her red haired friend.

"Kairi," Selphie blurted out, not being able to contain herself any longer. "I'm sorry about upsetting you today. I mean, I just kind of exploded all over you in the hall with my questions. I was just so shocked. I mean, you and Sora…"

"There is no me and Daniels, Selph." Kairi sighed, pushing away her drink to stare at Selphie and Roxas. "And it's ok about the freak out earlier. If the roles were reversed, I would have wanted to find out what happened too."

"So… What _did_ happen?" Roxas finally chimed in, just as eager to hear what this was all about.

"Roxas!" Selphie admonished, sending him a glare, "Kairi's had a hard day, she doesn't want to talk about it. Respect her privacy."

Roxas stared at Selphie, mouth wide open with an indignant look written all over his face.

"_Me_ respect her privacy? This is the first time I asked or even brought it up. You're the one pushing her about it."

"I am not!"

"You are two!"

Kairi put her head in her hands as the two battled back and forth. All she wanted was some peace and quiet, was that too much to ask for? She listened to her friends fight for a few more minutes, trying hard to drown out the noise. Apparently it was.

"Guys…" Kairi said, looking up at the two of them. They obviously hadn't heard her.

"Guys…?"

"You're the one who's always pestering Kairi for information about everything and keeps insisting she and Daniels are 'meant to be' all the time… You never give the girl a break."

"That is _so_ not true Roxas. I--"

"Guys!"

Their bickering finally ceased as they looked toward their mutual friend.

Kairi rubbed her temples, "I came here for some quiet and to think. If you can't stop fighting just leave and do it elsewhere."

Her friends at least had the decency to look a little sheepish.

"Sorry." They both mumbled. They had heard about Kairi's episode in the hall earlier today and didn't want her angry with them. It was much too dangerous.

The trio sat in silence for a few minutes while Topher brought over some fries.

Kairi slowly munched on her food. Topher's fries always seemed to make her feel better, they were the perfect comfort food. He always added just the right amount of chili and cheese to the dish without overpowering, and therefore ruining, the taste of the fries.

As much as Kairi didn't want to talk about what happened at school today or about the whole Sora situation in general, she knew her friends would never fully let it go or be satisfied until they knew. And if Kairi were honest with herself, she could use their help sorting the whole mess out.

Kairi threw down a fry she was holding and sighed.

"Daniels and I went on a date about a week ago."

Both Roxas and Selphie's heads shot up.

"But… why? I mean, you hate him don't you?" Roxas asked.

"I don't hate him…"

"You just strongly dislike him?"

Kairi gave Roxas a crooked smile.

"Yeah, pretty much. His personality is just, well not that flattering."

"So…? Fill us in." Selphie said, for once waiting somewhat patiently.

"Well… you know how Daniels never leaves me alone?"

"He does now. Has for the past week."

"Yeah, well that's because of what happened. I was just so sick of him bugging me, I kind of told him I'd go on a date with him to get Sora to stop."

Selphie and Roxas continued to stare at her with hungry eyes.

"I made a deal with him that if he promised to just leave me alone, I'd go on one date with him. So we did, then afterwards…"

"How was it?" Selphie interrupted.

"How was what?"

Selphie rolled her eyes, trying to contain her happiness at the whole situation. She knew they were perfect together.

"The date!"

"Oh…" Kairi trailed off, trying to fight off the blush she knew was coming to her cheeks.

Selphie beamed, "You liked it?"

"No. I mean, it wasn't awful or anything and he was actually somewhat nice. It just… wasn't my style… completely over the top. He was clearly trying to impress me. If Daniels had actually took the time to get to know me and really liked me, he would have known that wasn't really my thing."

"Where'd he take you?"

Kairi sighed at Selphie's eagerness. She knew Selphie would read way too much into this.

"To some boat on the mainland that docks once a year."

"Oh my gosh!" Selphie exclaimed, squealing in happiness. Roxas rolled his eyes muttering something under his breath.

"Selphie calm down." Kairi said irritated.

"How can I calm down? He took you to the Victory! Do you have any idea how hard it is to get a reservation there? My parents tried but it was booked months in advanced. If it wasn't obvious before it totally is now, he's so in love with you!"

"Selphie!" Kairi warned, annoyed with her friend.

Selphie sobered immediately, "Sorry, go on."

"Anyway… He agreed he'd leave me alone if I went on a date with him and he has, until today that is. Or so I thought.

"What do you mean?" Selphie asked.

"Well when you two told me you knew about it… I didn't tell anyone, so the only other way people would have know is if Sora told them. So I kind of--"

"Snapped?" Roxas offered, a hint of mischief in his emerald eyes.

"Yeah." Kairi said guiltily, "And it wasn't even Sora who did it. I feel terrible."

"Is that all that's bothering you?" Selphie asked.

"No, his behavior has been really bugging me too. I mean, he avoids me like the plague and I don't get why."

"He's trying to hold up his end of the bargain." Roxas explained as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Yeah but why all of a sudden would he listen to me and be, well… decent? Why now?"

"Because he's trying to show you he can leave you alone just like he promised. Maybe he thinks by keeping up his end of the bargain and keeping a promise, you'll see that he's not all that bad. If he can do one good thing in your eyes maybe you'll see more in him than just the jackass. I'm sure he's tired of you thinking he's a 'self centered, egotistical, ass.'"

Kairi looked away guiltily.

"What else?"

"Well, I overheard him yelling at Hayner before I left. He seemed really upset that I hated him. He looked all… crushed and self conscious. He didn't seem like himself."

"It's because he likes you." Roxas replied, munching on a fry.

Kairi looked puzzled, "But why? Why would it matter what I think of him?"

"_Because he likes you._" Roxas repeated.

Kairi shook her head.

"No he doesn't."

"Yes he does Kai." Selphie added, nodding towards Roxas. "Roxas is right, Sora is totally in love with you. And you love him too, you're just too blinded by it to see clearly."

Kairi snorted, "That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. If I liked him Selphie, I'd know it and I most certaintly don't like Daniels. Up until this past week I knew Sora was scum but now… Well I just can't figure him out. It bothers me. He seemed so vulnerable and was actually like, well, a human being instead of this stuck up jerk he's always been."

"Sounds to me like you miss having him around and paying attention to you."

"What?" Kairi exclaimed, taken aback. "Selphie no, I'm relieved, it's just weird."

"Ok answer me this then," Selphie said, a twinkle in her eye, "Why would it matter to you how he feels if you don't like him?"

"Selphie, just because I don't like him doesn't mean I wanted to hurt his feelings. Even if it is Daniels, I'm just not that type of a person. I didn't want to hurt him, I just wanted to get it through his thick skull that I don't like him. He seemed genuinely hurt after my rant and I don't know what to do about it."

"I bet he'd feel better if you told him you loved him." Selphie offered.

Kairi growled, sending a glare to her friend. "Not funny."

"I didn't mean for it to be a humorous comment Kairi, I'm just telling the truth. The boy loves you."

"Selphie--"

"Just listen for a second Kairi. If he didn't like you, why would it matter to Sora how you felt about him? So a girl doesn't like him then, big deal. This goes further than hurting his ego or his rep. Someone wouldn't get as upset as you've described if it was just that. Sora Daniels actually likes you, whether you want to admit it or not. _He likes you_. Why else would he be upset? Answer me that and I'll leave you alone."

But Kairi didn't answer… couldn't answer. Maybe Selphie was right, maybe she had been right all along. Maybe Sora really did like her. Why else would it matter how Kairi felt towards him? Those emotions on his face had been real, it wasn't some act; they hadn't know she was there. Maybe he really did like her, he just had a childish way of showing it. But was Selphie right?

--

A collective scratching of pens on paper filled the otherwise quiet classroom. Kairi was currently in her Geography class, taking a test on the world map.

'_Largest body of water (no oceans): what is it named and where is it located (lat. long.)?'_

'_This is too easy.' _Kairi thought to herself as she wrote down the answer. Really, how people failed this class was a mystery to her. As long as you studied a bit and listened to class discussions, there was no reason why anyone should get below a B. But still, it occurred more often than not.

Putting down her pencil, Kairi leaned back in her seat, stretching her limbs as she did so. She slowly surveyed the classroom finding she was the first one done. She saw Roxas a few chairs from her, still working hard on his test and therefore, could not pass notes.

The redhead sighed, flipping her test over to doodle on the back. Their teacher always encouraged doodling, saying it was better than talking when you were done with a test. She even went as far to say that if she liked what you drew, she'd give you extra credit.

As she drew, Kairi's mind wandered to what it had lately always wandered to.

Daniels.

She couldn't figure that boy out for the life of her usually but today she could. He was avoiding her at all costs. And she knew why, but just still couldn't fully grasp it. She had hurt Sora Daniels feelings. And more surpisingly, Sor Daniels _had_ feelings. One wouldn't think hurting him was really possible, with as much as he dealt out to people in his sarcastic manner. But he was hurt none the less. If the look on his face yesterday hadn't told her, his behavior today surely did. He didn't talk when she was around, didn't look at her… nothing. He slouched in his desk, seemingly trying to take up as little room as possible, most likely wishing he wasn't there. And Kairi knew she was the reason for this behavior. Hell, he barely moved in class so as to not offend her and possibly make her angry in any way or he'd risk the chance of her trying to get him expelled.

She felt awful.

She couldn't exactly just walk up to him and apologize, it was impossible. The second their science class had ended, he shot out of his desk and was the first out the door. She couldn't really blame him for not wanting to be around her, she had been a down right brat in the hall yesterday. And when she was in the hall, he was nowhere to be found. Kairi just didn't know how to approach him. But even if she did manage to catch him, what would she say? 'Hey Sora, sorry for yelling at you and hurting your feelings yesterday but I still really don't like you and would appreciate it if you'd just leave me alone?' She figured that wouldn't go over too well and actually might make things worse.

It felt incredibly weird not having Daniels paying any sort of attention to her, acting as if she didn't exist at all. And it wasn't what Selphie had suggested, she didn't miss the attention, not one bit. It was just strange. Sora's incessant bugging had been a constant in her life throughout the past year and a half... She was used to it. Now that she didn't have it, well, it threw things off. Made the school days longer. She no longer had the annoyance that was Daniels to distract her. She had to suffer the long eight hours till the end of the day.

The bell rang, signaling class had ended. Kairi grabbed her things, before making her way out of the classroom. She looked at her watch: _9:51_. It was going to be a long day.

--

With shaking hands, Kairi pulled on her jacket. She was freezing. It had started about twelve this afternoon, with a very crisp wind, which soon turned into a very light dusting of snow. But now it came down freely, already covering everything it touched with an inch or two of snow. Now, Kairi would have normally loved this type of weather. Her mother and her would be outside, playing in the snow like little kids or she'd be curled up on the couch, with a cup of hazelnut coffee and a copy of Watership Down. But right now, she could definitely say she hated this weather with every fiber of her being.

Kairi was out on her bench, praying for the bus to come, which was twenty minutes late. She didn't exactly have the proper attire for this sort of weather at the moment. All she had was a khaki jacket that was getting wetter by the second, no hat or hood, no mittens and shoes that were already sopping wet. She would have waited inside to avoid this nasty weather, but she would never be able to see the bus from where she stood. And unfortunately, there was no building she could seek shelter under. So she was stuck.

Trembling from the strong wind that seemed to tear right through her, Kairi pulled out an old, unused sweater she kept in her locker for emergencies. She had decided to take it home today to clean it and was eternally grateful for her timing. She quickly put the sweater over her head, tying the sleeves under her neck to form a sort of hood. She sat on the bench trying, in vain, to protect herself from the deceivingly beautiful snow.

Cursing the current weather to the deepest depths of Hell, Kairi didn't hear someone walking up the pavement towards her.

"Uh, Kairi?"

Kairi whipped her head up in the direction of the voice and saw who she had been trying to look for but dreading to find all day. Sora stood tentatively a few feet from her, hands stuffed in his pockets.

_'He looks so warm.'_ Kairi noted, or at least, warmer than her. He was wrapped in a nice, deep blue winter jacket, accompanied with a pair of dry footwear that looked to be a cross between a boot and a shoe. Kairi felt a small blush coming to her cheeks. She was sure she looked quiet a sight... She probably resembled a drowned rat.

"Sorry for bothering you," Sora said rather shyly, "I just thought, well, you're just sitting out here in the snow and the bus obviously has been delayed, probably because of the weather. Do you, uh, want a ride? I could bring you home. If you want of course, you don't have to if you don't want to. You just look rather cold." Sora finished, giving her a brief, uncertain smile.

Kairi stared at Sora a little shocked. After what she had said to him in the hall, she was surprised that he offered to help her. Maybe he wasn't as bad a person as she originally thought.

"Sure." Kairi heard herself say before hopping up off the bench, wrapping her arms around herself in a desperate attempt to keep warm. Sora's smile became a bit wider as he turned and lead Kairi to his car.

Yanking open the car door, Kairi stood hesitantly outside the Porsche as Sora jumped in.

"What's wrong?" Sora asked, confusion clouding his features.

"Umm, my clothes are soaked." Kairi said, gesturing with her hand to her dripping shirt. "I'll ruin your car."

She heard Sora chuckle lightly, something she hadn't heard in a while. Kairi found that it sounded oddly nice to hear, but bashed the thought immediately.

"It doesn't matter, hop in."

Kairi shrugged but did as she was told. In the back of her mind, she figured it probably didn't matter what she did to his car, he could pay for anything to get fixed.

The redhead continued to shake as Sora turned the ignition and slowly pulled out of the parking lot. She huddled as close as she could to the heater, anxious to get warm. The heat was barely on, but she could feel it. And it felt wonderful.

"Here." Sora said, seeing her distressed state. The poor girl was freezing cold. He looked down at the puddle of water forming on the seat. And she was soaking wet. He leaned forward, turning the heater on full blast.

He heard a relived sigh from beside him and smiled, glad he could do something that pleased her for once. Where his sudden courage had come from to offer her a ride home, he had no idea. One second he was walking to his car and turned to see Kairi looking completely pathetic on the bench. And the next, he was standing right in front of her and before he knew it, offered to give her a ride home. He surprised himself by asking her because he had vowed to leave her alone at all costs. But what surprised him even more was that she actually said yes.

Maybe… just maybe, she didn't hate him after all. He adjusted in his seat slightly, thinking hard, as his heartbeat sped up a bit at the thought. Maybe she didn't hate him. Maybe she had just spoken out of anger the other day. A sudden image of her sitting on the bench appeared in the forefront of his mind and his heart rate decreased dramatically as realization sunk in. She had just been desperate to get out of the snow, she hadn't had a change of heart at all. Sora sighed as he turned on the windshield wipers.

'_I should just be happy she grace me with giving her a ride.'_ Sora thought bitterly to himself.

But as he looked over to Kairi, who sat contently on the seat beside him, pressed against the heaters in the car; he couldn't help but smile. Her hair clung to her face, water dripping from long strands. Her skin was more pale than usual from the cold, and her clothes hugged her tightly, highlighting her curves. Even in this state she was still beautiful.

'_This is how it should be.'_ Sora thought, turning back to the road. Not her being soaked to the bone, but Kairi sitting on the seat beside him, willingly. He only wished they were in the process of driving to a movie, dinner or doing more… interesting activities in the car.

He shook his head, not wanting his thought to go _there_. If she only knew what he was thinking about, she'd be immediately repulsed by the idea and jump out of the car as fast as she could, rain or shine. Even if his thoughts were more on the innocent side.

Sora supposed he should just be happy that she was comfortable enough to ride in the car with him. She could have simply refused, and preferred to sit in the cold than ride with him. That would have hurt.

They arrived to the ferry station and Sora pulled onto the boat. He could have just dropped her of, but he liked having her sitting beside him, even if it was in silence. It was better than the raised voices he usually heard coming from her.

"What are you doing?" Kairi asked as she saw him slowly move past the gate and onto the boat.

"Taking you home?"

"I can just get off here, you don't have to." Kairi stated, grabbing her wet jacket she had shrugged off a while back.

"No." Sora said, grabbing the jacket to stop her from leaving. "I mean, I can give you a ride, it's no trouble. I, uh, have to go to your island anyways."

"Oh… ok." Kairi said rather awkwardly, putting her jacket back over the heater.

They waited in silence as the ferry crossed the icy cold water.

Kairi looked out the window and watched as the wind lapped at the dark waves below. Kairi had always been fascinated by water, ever since she could remember. She had learned to swim first and walk second. Her mother had always told her she was a natural swimmer. Completely in her element in the water… she was a bit of a klutz on land. While others worried about sharks or other dangerous creatures when going to the beach, Kairi's only worry was that they'd have to leave soon. And living on the island that they did, she was very fortunate they had some of the best beaches around.

She continued to watch out of the window for the remained of the trip to distract herself from having to talk to Sora. She still hadn't apologized to him yet, but wanted to… She just didn't know what to say or how to begin. Would he accept her apology? If the roles were reversed, she sure wouldn't have. In fact, in the past Sora had apologized for _some_ things but Kairi paid him no heed. Her stomach twisted as she thought how bad it would feel to have her apology thrown back in her face. But she supposed she deserved it if it happened. She had maybe done the same to Sora on numerous occasions and maybe it really had affected him, she just never knew it. Like yelling at him in the hall. Kairi always thought her words would never effect him, because she was just an object, a prize to be won. But if what Selphie said was true, and he actually _had_ feeling for her, it would have stung.

Kairi snapped out of her daydreaming as she passed Topher's.

"Stop here." Kairi said suddenly, making Sora jump slightly.

"Ok."

Sora pulled over to the side of the road and parked the car before grabbing Kairi's bag from the backseat.

"Here you go."

"Thanks." Kairi said, grabbing the bag from him and slinging it over her shoulder. Opening the car door, she stepped outside, throwing her damp jacket over her arm. The weather here was much more tolerable.

"Err, thanks for the ride."

"No problem." Sora said, flashing her a quick smile.

Kairi gave a short wave and turned to shut the door, but stopped herself just short.

"Do you want to grab something to eat?"

"What?" Sora asked, shocked to the bone, staring at Kairi with wide eyes.

'_What?'_ Kairi repeated silently to herself, taken aback also. _'Where had that come from?'_

Although Kairi was stunned she had said it, she realized she did mean it. It would be the perfect time to apologize to him.

"They have great burgers here, among other things. The food is fantastic."

"Yeah I remember you telling me…" _'On our date.'_ He added silently to himself.

"So do you want to?"

She had to of been joking. Why would she willingly want to spend time with him? Didn't she hate him just yesterday?

"You sure?" Sora asked rather dumbly, slapping himself mentally as he heard the words tumble out.

Kairi rolled her eyes. He could see she was trying to be patient.

"Yes I'm sure. Do you want to or not?"

Sora stared at her for a long moment, seeing nothing but sincerity in her eyes. And for the first time in a long and agonizing week, he grinned.

"Sure."

--

**A/N: **Wow was I in the mood to write or what. Sat down a few hours ago and it all just kind of came out. Hope you all liked the chapter! And thanks for the reviews everyone! You have no idea how appreciated they are. Glad everyone likes the story so far, I hope you enjoy what's to come! :) And thanks to a few people who pointed out the spacebar issue. For some reason when I submit a document it just kind of pushes together words that shouldn't be together. I'll take a closer look at it. **Review!**


	12. Forgive and Forget

**Chapter Twelve: Forgive and Forget**

Topher scrubbed at the countertop, trying hard to clean up the mess made by the previous customer.

_People are pigs, _he decided, _the whole lot of them. _What ever happened to manners? Not slopping all over the counter when you eat? Did their parents teach them nothing about table etiquette?

Grumbling to himself, Topher didn't notice two people walk up to the shop until the bell above the door rang. Groaning about having to feed another disgusting person, Topher looked up to see Kairi walking inside… with a boy. His eyes narrowed at the brunette teen in front of him, watching as the two made there way over to a table by the window.

'_Who the hell is that?'_Topher thought to himself, thinking hard. Kairi didn't have any friends that were guys. None except Roxas, and maybe a few of Roxas' old friends, but this guy didn't look familiar. He had no idea who he was.

The teen was tall and lean but had a build to him. The perfect figure of a jock. His brunette hair stuck up every which way, giving him that popular tousled hairdo. He seemed a bit timid, looking around at his new surrounds. Topher watched as the brunette sat down, glancing at Kairi, which made the teen even more nervous, if that was possible.

Topher frowned.

Grabbing a pad of paper and a pen, he made his way over to the pair who were sitting in an uncomfortable silence.

"Hey Kairi." Topher said warmly, smiling at the young girl. He looked to the young man sitting across the table from her. "Hello." He said stiffly, still not sure what to make of the boy. He straighten a bit more, trying to be as intimidating as possible.

"Hey Topher." Kairi said eagerly, obviously glad to have a distraction. At Topher's continuous glare at Sora, she quickly got the hint.

"This is Sora." She said cautiously, already knowing what Topher thought of the boy.

Topher's eyes widened slightly, surprised at finally seeing the boy that tormented Kairi so much. Why was she here with him?

"Daniels?" Topher questioned, wanting to make sure it was the right guy before pounding the little punk.

"Err… yeah. Hello Sir." Sora said.

"What's he doing here?" Topher blurted out, looking towards Kairi for an explanation.

"Uh, we just thought we'd grab something to eat." Kairi explained, hoping Topher would just let it go. Sora had already been through enough the past few days because of her, he didn't need to be badgered by Topher. But, in case Topher didn't get the hint, she continued hurriedly. "I'll have a good old cheese burger and a large coffee. What do you want Sora?"

Sora, who had been keeping a wary eye on the larger man before him, finally looked at the menu.

"I'll have a basket of chicken strips and fries with a cherry coke." At Topher's hard glared he swallowed. "Please." He added for good measure.

Topher grunted, and somewhat roughly took the menu from Sora before turning around.

"Uh, hang on a second." Kairi muttered to Sora before jumping up and grabbing Topher's arm.

"Don't spit in his food." She whispered to Topher, giving him a hard look before sitting back down again.

Topher deflated slightly, before giving Kairi a reluctant nod and heading back to the kitchen.

"Sorry about him." Kairi said to Sora.

"Did I do something? How does he know me?"

"No you didn't do anything. Uh," Kairi said blushing a bit, embarrassed. "I kind of complain about you a lot." She answered truthfully, glancing down at the table top.

"Oh…" Sora said, his face a little glum but he looked at Kairi and shrugged, "I don't blame you."

They sat awkwardly for several minutes until Sora spoke.

"This is a nice place." He commented, looking around. Old pictures hung on the walls, from sports teams to a scene from a famous movie, the walls were filled with life.

"Yeah." Kairi said, smiling fondly, "This place is great. And just wait until you try the food. You'll never want to stop eating."

Sora chuckled half heartedly, tapping his fingers together.

"So…" Sora offered, not having any idea what to say. He still didn't know why she asked him here to begin with. No way could she want to hang out with him.

"So…" Kairi replied nervously. Now was as good a time as any, might as well get it over with.

Taking a deep breath, Kairi looked Sora straight in the eyes.

"Look Sora, I'm really sorry."

Sora cocked an eyebrow, "Sorry for what?"

"About yesterday in the hall… I was a complete jerk, going off on you like that."

"Oh," Sora said, clearly surprised. _She_ was apologizing to _him_? "It's alright, don't worry about it."

"No it's not alright, I'm really sorry. I feel awful about it. I just…" Kairi shook her head, not at all proud of her behavior, "I thought you had told everyone as some personal attack against me. Or to humiliate me. I shouldn't have judged you so quickly. You didn't do anything and I humiliated us both."

Sora remained silent for a long time, staring at his drink.

"You know, I'm not that bad of a guy Kairi. Not that I've given you any reason to believe otherwise."

He looked up just in time to see Kairi give him a brief but genuine smile, "I think I'm just starting to realize that."

Sora's eyebrows shot up in shock. Did she actually just say something _nice_ to him? As the comment sunk in, a smile began to tug at the corner of his lips.

Thinking over everything she had just told him Sora sighed, his brow furrowing.

"If I'm completely honest with you, you didn't really do anything wrong. I kind of deserved getting yelled at like that."

Now it was Kairi's turn to be surprised.

"How on earth did you deserve that? I publicly humiliated you. I said horrible things… how did you deserve that?"

"Oh come on Kairi." Sora started, running a hand through his hair, a little frustrated. "If anyone should know why I deserve it, it should be you."

At Kairi's blank stare he continued, "For being a downright jerk to you the last year and a half. For never leaving you alone. For teasing you, being a bit inappropriate, humiliating you and upsetting you on a daily bases. I've been bothering you from the second I met you, just trying to get your attention. Even if I don't try to, I still somehow manager to upset you. I've just been a complete ass. So if anyone should be apologizing, it should be me. I'm sorry too."

Kairi gave him a long, calculating look and was pleased to find that he was being sincere. Daniels was actually apologizing. Kairi really appreciated it, him finally apologizing for all that he'd done. Even if it was a bit late.

'_What is the world coming to?' _Kairi thought to herself, a small smile appearing on her face.

Kairi watched the brunette look at her once again, confusion clouding his features.

"What?"

"Well, it's just.. How did you know I wasn't the one who told everyone?"

"Huh?" Kairi exclaimed, a blush starting to creep up her neck.

"Well, you didn't believe me when I told you I didn't do it," At Kairi's guilty look he continued quickly, "And rightly so. If the roles were reversed, I wouldn't have either. But why the change? How do you know I didn't do it?"

"Oh," Kairi stuttered a little before clearing her throat. "I kind of, overheard you yelling at Hayner earlier."

"Oh." Sora muttered, ears tinted red from embarrassment. She heard all of that?

"I wasn't spying or anything." She added hurriedly, not wanting him to get the wrong idea. "I was on my way to the bus stop and well, you three were in front of me. It was kind of hard not to overhear you."

Sora nodded, looking down at the table, running his finger through the water droplets sliding down his glass.

"Then you know I didn't tell him to upset you in any way. I just wanted some perspective."

"Yeah, I know." Kairi said.

The two sat in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. A few minutes later Topher came over, placing their meals in front of them before walking off.

The couple merely ate, no conversation flowing between the pair. Sora looked up at Kairi, opening his mouth to speak before thinking twice and abruptly closing it. A few seconds later, he looked up again, staring at the redhead before him.

Kairi glanced up at the same time, throwing Sora a questioning look.

"What?"

"Well, ah…" Sora began, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. "I was just wondering… I mean," He sighed, wondering how this would turn out. Taking a deep, calming breath he plowed ahead. "Do you think we could start over? Wipe the slate clean? I know that's a lot to ask for, after everything that's gone down between us but I'd just, I'd really like to, I don't know, start over. Be able to talk to you without it escalating into a fight. Go through a day without any drama between us." He finished feebly.

Kairi contemplated this new idea for a moment. On one hand, if she didn't do this, he'd avoid her like the plague again. Which would have normally been ok, but with their project they were working on together, and the classes they shared, it would be difficult and awkward. They'd always run into each other. On the other hand, if she did go along with this, things would be a whole lot easier. No fights (hopefully), no drama, nothing to make her upset and it would thankfully get rid of the awkwardness. But, was he really serious about this? Would he stop being a jerk? Would he stop hitting on her and leave her, for the most part, alone?

Kairi studied him for a long moment before deciding to voice her concerns.

"Are you serious about this Sora? I mean, are you prepared to stop bugging me? Act normal?"

"Yes." Sora exclaimed immediately. "I'm completely serious about this. I'd like things to be alright between us and I'd like to show you that I'm not really the bastard you think I am."

"I don't think you're _that_bad Sora." Kairi sighed.

"No, you just really don't like me, and I'd like to change that."

"I'm not going to 'like' you though Sora." She said cautiously, emphasizing the word _like_. She grew slightly worried, thinking that was what this was all about. Another elaborate plan to get her to date him. They'd get along for a while, then he'd go and ruin it by becoming a nuisance, asking her out yet again. Then all the work would be for nothing. Even if Sora really did like her, there was no way she'd ever feel the same. He just wasn't her type. She could _barely _see them as friends so there was no way she'd ever see more than that in him.

Sora blushed. Truthfully that's exactly what he wanted. But even though she probably already knew he liked her, he couldn't come right out and say that was his plan.

"Oh, I know." Sora said, shrugging a bit, trying to seem nonchalant. "I meant maybe we could, I don't know… become friends? After a while I mean, once you got to know me."

Kairi looked away from the boy in front of her to stare out the window. She thought for a few minutes, silently debating with herself. Looking back over to Sora, she saw him anxiously awaiting her answer. She might not have been reading him well, but she thought he really did just want to be friends. As long as he didn't want to date her, she could wipe the slate clean. Friends she could do.

"Ok." The redhead replied.

"Really?" Sora asked, mouthing hanging open in disbelief.

"Yeah." Kairi said hesitantly before becoming a bit firmer with her decision. "Yes. We could _try_ to become friends."

At her words, Sora's face instantly split into a wide grin.

"Alright." He said jovially, picking up his glass. He raised it in the air towards Kairi. "To friendship."

Kairi laughed, picking up her own glass as well.

"To friendship." She repeated, clinking her glass with his.

Sora stared at the beautiful redhead in front of him. She was finally going to give him a chance. He tilted his head to the side, watching as she tucked a strand of stray hair behind her ear; noticing the way her eyes light up when she laughed with Topher who had come over just moments ago. He vowed to himself then and there that he would do whatever it took not to screw this up.

"To friendship." He whispered once again but this time to himself.

Sora raised the glass to his lips, feeling the cool liquid slide down his throat. He tried hard to wipe the grin off his face but couldn't completely do it. If Kairi agree to be his friend, it was only a matter of time before she would agree to be his girlfriend.

It was only a matter of time.

--

Kairi rushed inside the building, covering her head with her bag. It was still raining and had been for the past week. It had started with snow the day she went to Topher's with Sora and had continued with unrelenting rain the rest of the week.

Kairi strolled down the hall to her locker, reflecting on the past week. Things with Sora had been going fairly well. They had talked to each other a few times, whenever they saw one another. It was a little awkward at first, them talking, but it was for the best. It really was a relief not to go into school and wonder how Daniels was going to ruin a perfectly fine day.

She slammed her locker shut, not running into Roxas or Selphie on her way to class. Opening the door she sat down at her desk, setting her things down before pulling out a book and reading, waiting for class to being. She read for several minutes until she felt, rather than saw, someone staring at her.

Looking up, she glanced around the room, eyes falling on Sora who was looking her way. He smiled briefly and waved. She returned the gesture and watched as he went back to his work. Selphie and Roxas finally made it to class, the three of them talking until their teacher came back into the room.

"Alright, hello everyone." Mr. Hobart started, taking out his lesson plans for the day. "Today we're going to be studying inside the animal kingdom. Deep inside, as we are going to be dissecting a frog today." He chuckled at his own joke while getting completely different responses from the class.

Nearly every guy in the room grinned, talking excitedly to their buddies beside them while nearly every girl in the class groaned, a sick expression on their face.

"We're going to dissect frogs? As in like, cutting them open?" Selphie gasped, hands over her mouth in horror.

"Yes Ms. Cole we are."

"Oh Mr. Hobart, I don't think I'll be able to do this." She whined.

A few others in the class nodded with Selphie in agreement.

"Well, you'll just have to do your best."

Selphie gulped, but nodded while Kairi patted her back in a comforting manner.

"Alright, now to the partners."

He put on his glasses, reading off the sheet in front of him.

"Ms. Smith, you'll be working with Mr. Brooks."

"Mr. Adams, you'll be with Ms. Cole."

Mr. Hobart continued down the listen, inciting cheers and groans as he read off the partners.

"Ms. Knight, you'll be working with Mr. Daniels."

Kairi shook her head in a slightly amused way. What were the odds? At least it wouldn't be as bad as the last time they were partnered up. He'd be laying off the sexual innuendos this time.

"And that's it." Mr. Hobart finished a few students later, "Your stations are all set up for you in the back. Pick up a worksheet and head to your frog."

Chairs scratched across the floor as the students pushed back from their desks, standing up.

"Looks like we're partners again." Sora said, handing Kairi a worksheet as they went to their station.

"Looks that way." Kairi smiled, sitting down at her seat.

"Alright, so." Sora began, moving the frog closer to him. "I'll cut into it and look for the stuff, you just-"

"Why?" Kairi asked, puzzled.

"Well, doesn't this kind of thing gross you out?"

Kairi shook her head, "Nope, I think it's pretty interesting actually."

"Really?" Sora asked, surprised. He'd never met a girl that was not grossed out by the prospect of cutting open a dead frog. He learned something new about her every day.

"Yeah really. It's a complete stereotype that every girl hates it. Not all girls are, well, girly. So, let's get going shall we?" Kairi asked, scooting the tray over to her before making an incision down the frogs chest.

"Oh my God." She heard Selphie exclaim from across the room. She looked a few tables over to her brunette friend. Selphie sat at her table, face turned away from her specimen as she reached over, poking the frog with her razor. Kairi had to give her her props, at least she was trying.

"Selphie you're poking holes in it." The boy beside her complained, trying to get her to stop.

"Uh, gross." She said, feeling the razor bounced against the frogs skin. Her face twisted into a grimace as she heard the squenching noises when the razor dug into the amphibian's flesh before coming back out.

"Selphie." The guy groaned, finally moving the frog out of her reach.

"Thank you." She breathed gratefully, throwing down her razor. She continued to look in the opposite direction, just incase she got a look at the mutilated frog. "You can just do it."

Kairi watched as the raven haired teen beside her dug into the frog with glee.

"Man, he's really getting into it isn't he?" Sora exclaimed, watching as the strange kid put his face right up close to the frog.

"It smells really bad."

"Oh my God." Kairi heard Selphie moan, rocking herself back and forth.

Just as she calmed herself down from the odd statement, Tidus accidentally knocked into Selphie's table, causing the frog to somehow roll out of it's tray, landing squarely on Selphie lap.

The brunette shrieked, flying out of her seat, watching as the frog fell onto the floor with a dull _flop_.

The whole class looked from the frog to Selphie, her face a sickly green color.

"Ms. Cole?"

Selphie's hands flew to her mouth as she bolted from the classroom. She didn't make it very far before they all heard a loud retching noise.

Kairi cringed as she heard her friend get sick in the hall.

"I'll go take her to the nurse." Roxas said, standing up from his seat to go help her.

But it wasn't over. The class looked on as Selphie's raven haired partner looked at the frog on the floor, before picking it up with his bare hands, blood smearing onto his fingertips.

"Ok, I'm done watching." Kairi said turning back around, shaking with repulsion.

Sora stared on, mouth wide open, "Now _that_ was gross."

Mr. Hobart finally got the students to settle down, making them all return to their work. Class continued on without any further disruptions and twenty minutes later, the bell rang.

"See you later Kairi." Sora said, walking out the door with her.

"Bye Sora, see you later."

They both waved to one another before going their separate ways; Sora heading to his next class while Kairi made her way to the nurse's office. She had a friend to console.

--

**A/N: **Hello readers! I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Poor, Selphie lol. Not really though, I don't particularly like her :P. Don't really know why either, maybe it's her voice (kind of annoying) but _man _does she rub me the wrong way. Anyways, thanks for the reviews! I'll post the next chapter soon. **Review**, and tell me what you think!


	13. Selphie's Plan

**Chapter Thirteen: Selphie's Plan**

"That was horrible." Selphie exclaimed, walking slowly down the hall.

"Oh come on Selphie, it happened yesterday. Get over it already."

She glared at the blonde for his lack of sympathy.

"Roxas, have you ever had a _dead_ frog, or any type of a frog for that matter, land on your lap before?"

"No but-"

"Exactly my point, so don't complain about something you know nothing about."

Kairi listened to the pair bicker back and forth while they walked to their lockers at the end of the day.

Selphie still wasn't over her traumatizing experience, as she called it, from the day before. Kairi had to admit, what happened was really gross but she silently agreed with Roxas. Selphie needed to just let it go. But, Selphie was not know as a drama queen for nothing, and Kairi expected to hear reference to yesterday for weeks to come.

"What do you think Kairi, should I just _let it go_ like Roxas says?" Selphie asked, turning towards her friend, arms crossed.

"_I_ think you two should stop bickering." Kairi said, staying out of it. It was never good to get dragged into the middle of one of their fights. Especially one as idiotic as this.

"See? She agrees with me. Just let it go and stop arguing."

"Ugh, Roxas-"

"Guys." Kairi said, raising her voice a bit, "You sound like an old married couple."

Roxas and Selphie looked at one another, horrifed for a moment before bursting out laughing, "Right, me married to Roxas."

"Yeah, good one Kairi." Roxas said, bending over laughing.

Kairi stared at the two of them. Her friends we freaks.

"Yeah, if I ever married Roxas, I'd shoot myself." Selphie said, wiping a tear from her eye.

"Yeah, I'd load the gun." Roxas agreed. Selphie suddenly stopped laughing, standing up to glare at Roxas.

"What?" She said, putting her hands on her hips.

"What?"

"You'd load the gun? Isn't that going a little far?"

Roxas gave her a confused but indignant look, "Well you're the one that said you'd kill yourself first, isn't _that_ going a bit too far?"

"Well-"

Kairi tuned them out. Sometimes she really did wonder if they secretly liked each other. She knew obviously, that they didn't. Selphie had a rather healthy obsession with Tidus, while Roxas was completely in love with Olette Philips, a girl he had barely said two words to, but liked none the less. But sometimes, when they went on like this… well it put things in her head. Maybe their quarrels really were driving her insane.

Kairi was messing around in her locker when she did notice something Selphie said.

"Uh, Kairi, aren't you going to miss your bus?"

Kairi grabbed Roxas' arm, glancing down at his watch.

"Damn." She swore, yanking her bag out of her locker and slamming it shut. "See you later guys." Kairi gave them a brief wave before tearing down the hall.

"Bye Kairi, we'll be at Topher's in a little bit. We have to work on our project before we come." Selphie yelled down to Kairi.

The redhead waved behind her shoulder before she turned sharply, disappearing around the corner.

--

"Hey, wait!" Kairi yelled, throwing her bag to the side. She ran after the retreating bus, waving her arms wildly in the air.

"WAIT!"

But, try as she might, it was no use. The bus sped down the street and eventually, out of sight.

"Oh come on." Kairi groaned leaning over, hands on her knees. She inhaled deeply, trying to control her breathing.

She cursed the bus, swearing under her breath. The bus was _never_ early. In her year and a half at going to this school, not _once_ had it ever been early. It had been late before, certainly, but of course the one time she wasn't there, it was early.

Kicking a rock on the road to relieve some of her anger, Kairi made her way back to the bench, picking up her bag as she did so. She pulled out her cell phone before thinking twice and snapping it shut. She'd use her mother as a last resort. She didn't want to disturb her from work and have her drive completely out of the way to pick her up. Sighing, she slung her bag over her shoulder and headed back inside to look for Roxas and Selphie.

Walking through the hall, Kairi scanned everywhere for her two friends but found them no where. The hallways lacked the faint echos of their latest match. She ran a hand through her hair, frusterated. She'd have to wait for her mother to get off of work and then take the ferry to get here. It would be a good three hours before she got picked up and even longer until she got home.

Kairi trudged back outside, pulling her jacket tighter against her body. It was drizzling slightly but thankfully not as heavily as it had been lately. Still, she shivered from the crisp cold, deciding to wait inside the entryway of the school. Pulling open the door, she turned to sit against the wall. Kairi spent a good ten minutes tapping her fingers against the hard, tiled floor, looking at some students as they past her to come in or out of the building. She heard whistles blowing from inside, the basketball teams practicing hard for their season. She eventually got bored however and decided to pull out her book.

She spent the next ten minutes flipping through the pages of her book, reading but not really comprehending the words. The redhead sighed, throwing her book back into her bag. It was going to be a long, agonizing wait. Nothing was worse then waiting after school. You already spent eight hours there, no one wanted to stay later than that. She leaned her head against the window, watching as her hot breath fogged the glass pane. Kairi's head snapped up as she saw a figure walk past the clear glass doors, making their way towards their car.

It was Sora.

She watched as he jogged to his car, saying goodbye to a few of his friends before hopping inside. Kairi bit her lip. She really needed a ride home. He'd offered many other times before and they were getting along now, weren't they? They were friends, so why not ask? That's what friends did, they helped one another out. She figured he probably had better things to do than cart her around but it was worth a shot. She was desperate.

Jumping to her feet, Kairi grabbed her bag and bolted out the door, jogging over to Sora's car. As she came up to the window she lifted her hand, knuckles rapping softly against the glass.

Sora's head jerked up as he saw her standing outside his car.

He rolled down the window quickly, giving her a questioning but friendly look.

"Hey, what's up?"

"Hey." She replied back. She gave him her most winning smile, trying to persuade him, "I missed the bus."

"Ah, that's a drag." He said, continuing to look at her questioningly.

"Yeah it really is. I went inside to look for my friends but they were long gone and the bus that goes to their house is gone too."

"You don't say?" Sora said, crossing his arms, trying to keep a smile off his face. So she wanted a ride.

"Yeah, and of course the _one_ time I'm late to the bus, it's on time. I mean, figures right?" She rambled, wondering why he wasn't offering her a ride.

"Things always tend to work out that way."

"Yep." She said, nodding her head in agreement. They stood there for a few silent minutes, until Kairi didn't want to wait anymore. It wasn't exactly getting any warmer out.

"Could I maybe get a ride? Just to the ferry station. I know it's probably a ways out of the way from your house-"

He gave her a bright smile, "Sure, hop on in. I just wanted to see how long you'd go on until you asked."

Kairi put her hand on her hip, sending a mild glare at him, "Funny."

He grinned and shrugged, "It was a little funny."

Kairi rolled her eyes and walked to the other side of the car, jumping in.

"Ready to go?"

"Yeah, whenever you are."

Sora nodded, putting the car into gear before driving out of the parking lot.

The radio played softly in the car, filling up the silence.

"Oh, turn it up, I love this song!"

Sora reached to the radio, turning the knob as the sound got louder and louder.

'_Falling through the black, slippin' through the cracks, falling through the depths can I ever come back.'_

Sora's mouth fell open.

"What?"

"You like _Skillet_?" Sora asked, shocked.

"Yeah? What about it?"

"Just, wow. It's such a…"

"Guy band?"

Sora laughed, "Well yeah. I mean, not that girls don't listen to it. It's just kind of... loud."

Kairi shook her head, "The song's great. It's my favorite on their CD. Not that there other songs are bad… It's all pretty good."

"So, you like rock music?" Sora, asked curiously. He had come to the realization he didn't really know that much about the redhead, so he always loved learning new things.

Kairi nodded, "Yeah, but not just rock. I like nearly ever genre. Rock, pop, alternative…"

"Rap?"

Kairi made a sour face, "No, not rap."

Sora nodded, "Alright so no rap. What are you into right now?"

"Kind of a country rock mix. I don't like many hard core country songs but when it has a bit of a different genre thrown in there, I love it. What about you?"

"Me? Well I like classic rock songs. Mainly from the 80's. And I like some rock bands that are out right now too."

"So you're a major rock freak?"

Sora laughed, "Yeah, pretty much."

Kairi happened to look out the window, surprised they were already at the ferry. The ride from the school to the station had seemed that short before. Maybe he'd taken a different way?

The violet eyed teen grabbed her bag, resting her hand lightly on the door handle.

"Thanks for the ride, I'll take it from here."

"Are you sure? It's freezing out."

Kairi shrugged, "I can handle it."

Sora shook his head, "No doubt you can but really, it's no trouble to take you all the way there. I don't have anything else to do at the moment. Just homework."

Kairi laughed, "Just homework? Don't you think that's a bit important?"

"Sure, but it's boring too boot. It doesn't hold my attention for long. I'd most likely just go home and watch some TV and ignore the work all together."

At Kairi's uncertain look he continued, "Look, it's really cold out. And even inside the ferry, it's still going to be cold. You've got a nice, running heater in here that'll keep you warm. Plus the ferry doesn't have the most comfortable seats, and it smells a bit-"

"Only in the summer." Kairi interjected.

"Well still. It's really no trouble. In return for my time you can take me into Topher's and protect me while I wait for a burger."

"Oh come on, it wasn't that bad."

Sora snorted, "Easy for you to say. You didn't have the guy sending you death glares the entire time you ate. And I have a feeling it he doesn't do that to other customers. I just got the special treatment. So what do you say?"

"Alright, deal." Kairi said, shaking his hand.

For once they didn't sit in the car in absolute silence, they talked about music. From Prince to Weird Al, they quizzed one another on what they knew, trying to out do the other. By the time they got to Topher's it was a tie.

"I still can't believe you like the A-teens. I mean come on, they're a total rip off of Abba."

Kairi scoffed lightly, "And you're one to talk? You like Daniel Bedingfield for Pete's sake. Could you be any gayer?"

Sora flushed, turning beat red. "I just mentioned that one song. I mean, it wasn't _that_ bad. But it's not like I love it."

"That's not the impression I got." Kairi said with a teasing smile as they entered Topher's.

They bantered lightly back and forth, making their way up to the counter and sitting down.

"You out there Kairi?" She heard Topher yell from the back.

"Yeah, I'm here."

"Alright, I'll be out in just a second."

"Don't worry about it Topher, there's no hurry."

A few moments later Topher emerged from the back. He stopped short at the sight of Sora.

"Oh, hello." He said, instantly tensing.

Sora gulped, "Hello Sir."

Topher grunted, "You don't have to be so polite kid, you're just in a diner after all."

Sora nodded. "Could I have a menu, please?"

Topher turned around, grabbed a menu and slid it across the counter to him. Sora had barely gotten the thing open before Topher spoke up.

"What do you want?" He barked, looking for an answer.

"Uh," He looked down at the menu, "Could you give me a minute?"

Topher heaved a sigh, completely put out and looked to Kairi, his face instantly brightening. "What would you like today Kairi? The usual?" He asked, cheerfully.

"Oh, I'll have whatever Sora's having." She said, turning expectantly to Sora, innocently staring at him.

Topher immediately rounded on the boy, "Made up your mind yet kid?"

"Uh, no."

Topher sighed and walked away.

"Thanks for the help." Sora grumbled to Kairi, throwing her a light glare, "The man already looks like he wants me to choke on my food, no need to provoke him."

Kairi merely shrugged, a grin tugging at the corner of her mouth.

Topher came walking back over, pen poised.

"Ready yet?"

"No."

"Geez kid, it's not a math problem. Just pick something." He heard the raven haired man mumbled a bit too loudly.

"Alright I'll have a patty melt with a side of chips and a large Dr. Pepper."

Topher jotted down the order before turning to Kairi, "You really want the same thing?"

"Nope, I'll have the usual."

Topher nodded before turning around and heading back to the kitchen.

The second he was gone, Sora sat down heavily. "I was afraid he was going to burn a hole straight through my head with a glare like that."

Kairi bit her cheek from laughing. Topher wouldn't hurt a fly, but there was no need for the brunette beside her to know that.

They talked a while longer about nothing particularly important, until Sora's food came.

"Thanks." The brunette said, giving the older man a smile. After a look from Kairi, Topher smiled back, but it was strained.

Sora grabbed the bag and drink before turning to Kairi.

"Guess I'm off, thanks for the food."

"No problem, thanks for the ride." Sora stood up from the stool just as the bell above the door rang.

"Kairi we- oh, sorry. Am I interrupting?"

Kairi turned around to see Selphie and Roxas standing before them. Roxas with an intrigued look on his face while Selphie looked startled yet happy, a little too happy in Kairi's opinion.

"No, you weren't interrupting. Sora was just on his way out. He gave me a lift here cause I missed the bus."

"Yeah," Sora said, "In exchange for some food." He held up the bag, showing it to them.

Roxas and Selphie remained quiet, just staring at the pair.

"_Al_right. I'll just be going. See you Kairi." Sora nodded to her friends before making his way to the door.

That seemed to have snapped Selphie out of it.

"Oh no, don't let us drive you out."

"It's ok, I need to get going anyways-"

"No really, stay. I mean, the more the merrier right?" Selphie said, slightly demanding. She couldn't just let Sora walk out the door. He and Kairi looked so cute together, and they were actually talking! She figured a little match making was in order.

"I should really get going…" He persisted. He'd had a pleasant time with Kairi and didn't want to ruin it by sticking around for too long.

"Oh no stay, I insist. We'll all get to know one another."

"I don't want to intrude."

Selphie waved him off, "Oh nonsense, you're not intruding. Come on and sit down." She grabbed his arm, dragging him over to a nearby table.

She motioned for Kairi and Roxas to join them.

Sora sat awkwardly at the table not knowing what to say.

"So, how are you doing Sora?"

"Um, alright I guess." He looked to Kairi, raising a questioning eyebrow. The redhead merely shrugged, looking as bewildered as him. What was Selphie up to?

"That's good." Selphie said, smiling at everyone.

"So you're in a few of Kairi's classes right?"

"Err, yeah a few."

Selphie nodded. How should she go about this? She had a brilliant idea, but didn't want Kairi mad at her. She had to be sneaky.

"So what movies do you like Sora?"

"I don't know, everything I guess. Action, adventure, sci-fi, horror, comedy-"

"Romance?" Selphie asked, a sparkle in her eye.

Kairi stared at her friend, a slight frown on her face.

"Yeah, that's good too."

"That's interesting," The brunette said. She immediately perked up, looking like an idea just came to her, "Hey you know, we're going to the new movie tomorrow, what's it called." She pretended to think hard, tapping her finger against her chin, "Oh, yeah the new one with Sandra Bullock, 'The Proposal'. You could join us if you want."

Surprised at the invite, Sora glanced at Kairi who stared at her friend, a confused look on her face with a hint of irritation.

"Oh, err, you know what? I appreciate the offer but I don't think I can make it."

"Oh, why not?"

Sora thought quickly, trying to think of an excuse. Really he'd love to go to the movies, especially with Kairi but the redhead didn't seem all too fond of the idea, she wasn't the one who asked after all. And Sora didn't really want to go just because the brunette wanted him to. He found her a bit overwhelming.

"I've err, got a dentist appointment tomorrow."

"Really? Who's your dentist?"

"Uh, Dr. Sherman."

"Really!?" Selphie exclaimed, mouth wide open in surprise, "Oh my gosh, he's my dentist too. You know, Dr. Sherman is actually out of town this week. Going on some vacation with his wife."

"Really?" Sora said dejected. What were the damn odds they had the same dentist?

"Yeah, marital problem." She leaned in and whispered to him before straightening back up, "It must have been his secretary's mistake. A really flighty woman that one."

"Err, his secretary's a man."

Selphie waved him off, "Yeah that's what I said. So, hey, since you don't have an appointment you could go with us."

Kairi finally spoke up. She had no idea what Selphie was playing at but Sora obviously didn't want to go.

"Maybe he doesn't want to go Selphie." The redhead said, fixing the emerald eye girl with a stare.

"Why not? You said you like romance right? And comedy? Well you get two in one." She ignored Kairi for a moment, turning excitedly to Sora, "So what do you think? Would you like to join us?"

Sora shifted in his seat uncomfortably. He was in a pickle. He wanted to go, only to hang out with Kairi but if he said yes, she could get irritated. It was something the three of them had planned and he could be ruining said plans by saying yes. But this Selphie chick didn't seem like she'd let it go easily. He supposed he didn't really have a choice.

"Uh, I suppose I could, I mean if it's alright with everyone."

Selphie gave off a brilliant smile, beaming at him. "Great, it's totally fine with me. What about you Roxas?"

Roxas looked at Kairi, her eyes silently pleading him to help her out. It seemed like she didn't really want Daniels to come.

He smirked, trying to ruin Selphie's plan, "Actually, I don't think- Ow!"

Roxas bent over, rubbing his shin. He looked to Selphie who had kicked him under the table. She had a hard smile on her face and a fierce look in her eye.

He gave Kairi an apologetic expression, "Never mind." He grumbled.

"Alright." She turned to Kairi, "You wouldn't mind if Sora joined us, would you Kairi?" She said pleasantly, happy her plan was going off without a hitch.

Kairi sighed before trying to give a friendly smile, to not hurt Sora's feelings. On the inside though, she was frusterated with Selphie. Why had she invited him?

"It's fine."

"Great!" Selphie exclaimed. She turned to Sora, all business like, "So, we'll meet you at the movie theater tomorrow night at six o'clock, don't be late!"

"Ok, see you then I guess." He stood up from the chair, eager to leave. "See you later." He said before trying to casually bolt to the door.

"Well, I guess Sora's coming to the movie with us." Selphie said, happily.

"Yeah because you forced him."

"What?" Selphie said indignantly, a hand over her heart in a wounded manner, "What do you mean forced him? He wanted to come."

Kairi scoffed, "Right, come on Selphie. Why'd you invite him?"

"I was just being polite, we were talking about the movie. It would have been rude not to invite him."

Kairi rubbed her temples, irritated with the girl across from her.

"Besides, what's the big deal? It seemed like you were getting along just fine before we came."

"We were just getting along Selphie. I got a ride from him and in return, bought him a burger. That does _not_ mean I want to go hang out at the movies with him."

Kairi sat up straighter in her chair, eyes narrowing at her friend, "So _that's _why you did it? You're still on that kick about Sora and I getting together!?"

"What?" Selphie said, flushing a little, "No, of course not."

"Come on Selphie, now you got his hopes up. He'll think it's some date and it'll ruin the truce we've got going."

"But it's not a date and I thought you two decided to be friends?"

"Yeah we did but-"

"Then their's no problem right? That's what friends do, they go to the movies together and stuff. We're all friends. Roxas doesn't think he's going on a date with me, so Sora won't think he's going on a date with you. We're all just friends."

The blonde beside her shivered at her words.

Kairi blew out a breath.

"Unless, you know, you want it to be more…"

She rolled her eyes, "Of course I don't want it to be more."

"Alright well, it's all good then." Selphie chirped happily, glad she won the argument and Kairi relented. Opening her menu, she peered inside. "Hmm… what to eat?"

--

**A/N:** Hey guys, hope you enjoyed the chapter. Thanks for the reviews! :)


	14. The Movies

**A/N: **I talk about the movie the Happening in here so if no one's seen that yet but wants to… I apologize for giving some away.

**Chapter Fourteen: The Movies**

Sora tucked his hands into his pockets trying to protect them from the light breeze sweeping through the air. It was five fifty two. He had come ten minutes early so he wouldn't miss them. He didn't want to seem rude and show up late.

The brunette looked around him, leaning against the side of the building. He didn't want to sit on the curb, incase he got his pants dirty. Just what he needed, to appear like a slob. He wore a navy blue polo with khaki's pants. It was a fairly nice day out for it being November, just a little crisp.

He was incredibly nervous about tonight, more so than with any other girl he'd ever gone out with. He knew it wasn't a date, she hadn't even seemed like she wanted him to go. They were just friends. He knew this, yet, he still couldn't stop sweating. This would be the second time he'd ever gone out with Kairi and if she looked as great as she usually did, he'd have to try hard not to blow the 'friends' thing they had established.

"Sora!"

Sora squinted as he tried to get a better look at the people who approached him. The light around them grew dim as the sun was already beginning to set.

Selphie lead the pack, wearing a pink skirt, white t-shirt with some sort of white, furry hooded jacket over it. Roxas stood behind her, wearing jeans and a fitting black leather jacket, talking animatedly to the redhead beside him.

Sora watched as Kairi made her way towards him. She was wearing a red and blue sweater with a pair of jeans. Her red hair was down flowing freely, spilling just past her shoulders. She wasn't wearing anything special but Sora gulped nonetheless. She was beautiful.

He cursed himself lightly. Why had he promised they'd be just friends?

"Hey Sora." Selphie exclaimed, waving energetically at him. Roxas gave the jock a polite smile and a small nod as well. Sora gave them a brief smile and waved back. But his eyes were really on Kairi.

"Hey Kairi." He said, giving her a warm smile.

"Hey." She said pleasantly, tucking her fingers around the end of her sleeve, trying to keep them warm. He noted she didn't seem too upset that he was here. Maybe she didn't really mind after all. Or maybe he was just thinking optimistically.

The four stood in an uncomfortable silence, not sure what to do next.

"So, should we get inside?" Kairi suggested, motioning to the nearby door.

"Yeah, let's go." Roxas said, leading them inside. He led them up the red carpeted path to the ticket booth.

"Four tickets to the Proposal." He said, turning around to collect everyone's money.

"I'm sorry but the movie has already started. You sure you want to go in?"

"What?" Selphie said, alert, pushing Roxas to the side to stand in front of the woman. "But, I looked it up. It starts at six twenty!"

The blonde behind the counter shook her head, "I'm sorry but that's incorrect, the movie's already started."

"When did it start?"

"Five forty."

"Ugh." Selphie groaned, balling her hands into fists. This was going to ruin everything! The movie was a romantic comedy, it was a for sure thing. They would have totally hooked up by the end of it.

"Too late to go into now. We missed the beginning." Roxas said.

"I know that Roxas!" Selphie growled, thinking hard. "Well what other movies are playing?"

Roxas looked up at the movie board, "We could go to the Happening. It starts in five minutes."

"The Happening?" Selphie nearly whined, smacking her forehead. That wasn't a movie to put them in the romantic mood. They totally wouldn't get together now. She glanced up at the board, not seeing any other options. She sighed heavily, "The Happening it is then."

They paid for their tickets and made their way to the food counter, everyone getting a drink and popcorn. Selphie slugged behind the group, upset her plan was out the window. She was so sure it would have worked too.

The foursome walked to their theater, small spurts of talking here and there. Walking into the vast room, they were happy to find the theater was mainly empty, save for a few people scattered throughout the audience.

"How about here?" Kairi suggested, stopping at a row in the front. It had a large gap between that row and the rows that ascended behind it. "No one will be able to kick our seats."

"Sure, but I don't really think that's a problem tonight." Roxas said, looking up to the nearly vacant room. "It's pretty dead."

"Creepy." Kairi joked, heading down a few seats to the center of the screen.

Selphie perked up, an idea suddenly coming to her. It was so obvious, why had she not seen it before? Kairi would get scared and end up in Sora's big, strong arms. It was perfect!

Selphie joined the group, a plan quickly formulating in her head, not at all bothering to remember that Kairi didn't get scared easily by movies. She was just too excited by her plan and the prospect of Sora and Kairi _finally_ getting together to notice. They were a match made in heaven.

As the movie began, Selphie squirmed in her seat a little, too excited to sit still.

"Selphie stop moving." Roxas complained, staring at the screen.

"Sorry."

She waited a few more minutes before nudging his arm with her elbow.

"Ow! What was that for?" He whined, rubbing his elbow.

"Stop being a wimp. That so did not hurt."

"How do you know that? You weren't the one who was hit."

Selphie rolled her eyes, "Because I didn't hit you that hard."

"Oh, alright then." Roxas said, before poking Selphie's arm with his elbow.

"Ouch! Roxas quit it."

"What? I didn't hit you that hard-"

"Ugh, just shut up for a second." She leaned over to him closely, freaking the blonde out.

"What are you doing?" He said, panicky, making some room between them.

"Just come here a second."

"Selphie, I'm not your date… So if you're thinking of trying to kiss me-"

"Roxas!" She hissed, pulling his jacket to bring him closer.

"Listen, in a few minutes we're going to leave."

"Why? The movie just started. Which I'm missing, by the way, because you're choosing now to act all-"

"Roxas, focus." Selphie snapped. "Now, we're going to leave to give them some time alone together and by the end of the movie, they'll be a couple!"

Roxas shook his head and sighed, "That's what this is about? Look Selphie, she doesn't like him, no matter how much you want her to-"

"She just doesn't _know_ she likes him yet. We need to help them along a bit Roxas because if it goes at Kairi's pace, they'll be eighty and she'll still be trying to work it out. By then it's too late! They'll be all old and gross."

"Selphie, just let her be and stay out of it. If, by some miracle, they _did_ end up together, let them do it on their own."

"No Roxas you're coming with me."

"Selphie, I'm not-"

"Hey guys." Selphie moaned, holding her stomach, not paying attention to Roxas. "I uh, _really_ don't feel well. Roxas and I are going to head out."

"What?" Kairi exclaimed, her attention diverted from the screen. "Where are you going?"

"Just going out to grab something health to eat. I think my stomach's just upset from all this junk food." She complained, and quickly turned her back to them before spilling most of her popcorn onto the ground. She faced them once again, showing them the nearly empty bag. "I think I ate too much, I just need to settle my stomach a bit. We'll be back later."

"We'll go with you." Kairi said, starting to get up.

"Oh no! It's alright, Roxas will just go with me. You stay," She insisted, grabbing her jacket, "Enjoy the movie, we'll be back for you after."

"Selphie-"

"Let's go Roxas." The brunette said hastily, tugging at her friend. She completely ignored the blonde's objections as she pulled him with her, making a break for the exit.

"You guys…" Kairi started, but it was useless, they were already gone.

"Sit down!" She heard someone yell from behind her and she immediately sat, not wanting to upset anyone.

"I guess they're gone." She muttered.

"Do you want to go after them? Maybe we could still catch up."

"No they're gone, trust me." Kairi sighed, leaning back in her seat. She could almost guaranty this was another ploy to get her and Sora alone together. Selphie never ate that much that fast. Why wouldn't the girl just get it through her thick skull that she wasn't interested in Sora? Will the she never quit?

Kairi breathed deeply, trying to clear her mind. She should just sit and try to enjoy the movie. She'd deal with Selphie later.

--

"Damn, that was awful." Sora said as they exited the movie, throwing their empty bags and drinks in the trash.

"That's got to be one of the worst movies I've ever seen Mark Wahlberg in."

"The trees, the trees!" Sora exclaimed looking around, pretending to be horrified.

Kairi laughed at his antics, shaking her head.

"I mean come on. Trees? Really? The deadly force was _trees_?"

Kairi laughed heartily, "I know, out of all the things they could have come up with, I can't believe it."

"I thought it was a good start, then it just kind of went downhill from there."

Kairi nodded in agreement, "It's an interesting concept though. Plants being so threatened they wipe out what's destroying them."

"Yeah, but for a scary movie? Not too scary in the end. The only creepy part was that old lady." Sora shivered, "Now if it were me, I would have just taken my chances with the trees instead of staying with that chick."

Kairi nodded, before scanning the large room for her friends. She sighed as she found no sign of Selphie or Roxas. The redhead cursed, where the hell was she?

"Are your friends here?"

Kairi shook her head, "Nope, but we should probably head outside and check."

"Alright." Sora said, leading her outside.

As Kairi stepped out into the cold night air she shivered, wrapping her arms around herself. Of course it had to get cold. She scanned the cars in the parking lot. And of course Selphie wasn't here.

"Doesn't look like she's here. I'll call her cell."

Kairi pulled out her phone and with shaking fingers, she dialed her friend's number.

"Pick up, pick up." She whispered to herself, pacing up and down the side walk, trying to keep warm.

Four calls later, Selphie still wouldn't answer, and Kairi cursed her once again. Some friend she was. Not only was it cold but now incredible awkward. She could sit through a movie with Sora, there was an entire movie going on. And she could talk to him at school, they had projects and classes they could talk about. But now… she didn't know what to do. Just sit here and stare at one another?

"I guess she's not answering." Kairi said giving up, leaning into a little alcove to protect herself from the wind.

Sora rubbed his arms, trying to keep warm also. He looked over at Kairi, seeing how cold she was. He kicked himself for not having a jacket to offer her. The breezed ruffled her hair slightly, giving her a disheveled look. He looked around, wracking his brain for an idea. They could go back inside the theater but would just be asked to leave again soon for loitering. He looked around at the surrounding buildings, his eyes landing on an ice cream Shoppe across the street.

"Want some ice cream?" Sora asked, turning to Kairi.

Her mouth fell open, as she gave him a disbelieving look, "You're kidding me right?"

Sora blushed, shuffling from foot to foot to keep warm. "No, I mean, it's got to be warmer in there than it is standing out here. And it's even facing the parking lot, we'll be able to see if they pull in."

At the mention of warmth, Kairi immediately bounced off the wall.

"Let's go." Kairi said, her teeth chattering slightly. The temperature must have dropped a good amount from the time they entered the movie till now. She hadn't anticipated a cold night and therefore, had no jacket. In her defense, Kairi thought she'd be home and therefore, didn't need one. And she most certainly didn't think she'd be standing outside in the cold waiting for her friend to come back.

The pair jogged across the parking lot, entering the small ice cream Shoppe in a matter of seconds.

Relief flooded their bodies as they entered, the heat embracing them. Kairi looked around at the small room, noticing they were the only ones present. A few tables with pink table cloth were scattered in the room, the counter with all the ice cream on the left. The room was filled with lace and bright colors. It reminded her of overly enthusiastic Easter decorations.

"You want anything?" Sora asked, as he walked the short ways to the counter. Kairi patted her pocket, looking for money, when she remember it was in her purse… in Selphie's car.

"I haven't got any money, you go ahead."

Sora threw her a smile, "I'll pay for you."

"You really don't have to."

Sora pulled out his wallet and looked up at the board. "It's fine. What's a couple of bucks?"

Kairi relented, walking up to stand beside him.

"Any idea what you want?" Sora asked after a few moments, still scanning all the ice cream labels.

"I think I'll take a scoop of French vanilla, cookie dough, and put some crunched up butterfingers in it. What about you?"

"I'm thinking of having the-"

"Hello." A voice from the storage room behind the counter said, making Kairi and, to a certain extent, Sora jump.

"Oh, err, hello." Sora laughed half-heartedly, feeling his heart beating rapidly. "Didn't see you there."

"Oh, did I scare you? I'm sorry." The woman said, walking up to them but behind the counter, "I get that a lot."

The woman was old, about sixty and had short, grayish white hair. She wore a heavy pair of leggings, a light pink t-shirt and a sky blue jacket over it, fitting the decor around her. She had a rather blank stare, looking at them with slightly unfocused eyes.

Kairi and Sora shared a look.

"What can I get you?"

"Oh uh, I'll have a scoop of the French vanilla, cookie dough, and some crushed up butterfingers inside."

Sora told the woman his order afterwards as they stood back, watching her get their ice cream. The woman began talking to herself quietly as she scooped, chuckling here and there.

Kairi subconsciously moved a bit closer to Sora, a little freaked out by the woman's odd behavior. Sora looked down at her when she did this and hid a smile.

"Here you are, that'll be six fifty three." The woman said, handing them their orders, while Sora handed her the cash.

"Thank you dear, have a good night."

"Thanks, you too." He said politely, watching as the woman exited back into the storage room, shutting the door behind her.

They took a seat at a table closest to the exit.

"Is it just me," Kairi began, scooping up some of her ice cream before digging up some of the butterfinger scraps, "Or does that woman look freakishly like the woman from the movie?"

"That's what I was thinking." Sora exclaimed quietly, glad he wasn't just making it up himself.

"She's a bit off too. Not mean like the woman was but… I don't know, just odd."

Kairi nodded, turning around quickly as she heard the door open. The woman came out before stopping short, noticing the teens.

"Oh, hello." She said surprised, "I thought you'd left."

Sora just smiled before returning to his treat.

They ate in silence, occasionally sneaking peeks at the woman who continued to stare at them. It was a bit unnerving.

"Can I help you with something?" Sora finally asked the woman, tried of her staring.

"Oh I'm sorry. You're just," The woman smiled, a hand over her heart, "You're a very cute couple."

They both flushed.

"Oh ah, we're not, err- we're not together."

The woman stared at them before laughing lightly, "Ah, to be young and in love again."

Kairi gave Sora a confused look to which he shrugged. The woman was mad.

Sora leaned over the table to Kairi, "Do you want to get out of here? We can head back to the movie theater for a bit." He whispered.

"Yeah." Kairi said, picking up her bowl. "Have a good night." She said politely before scurrying out the door, Sora in toe.

A few minutes later they were back at the movie theater but inside this time.

Kairi once again scanned the parking lot, but found no sign of her friends black Mazda.

"I'm really sorry about this. I don't know where they are."

Sora shrugged, "It's fine. I don't have anything important to do tonight anyways."

"No dentist appointments?" Kairi teased, a mischievous spark in her eye.

Sora blush slightly, "Err, no, no appointments."

"Sorry she kind of force you to come." Kairi said apologetically, "Selphie can be kind of pushy sometimes when she wants something."

"It's fine. Besides, I ended up having a good time." He said, smiling at Kairi.

"Yeah, waiting for a ride is great fun." Kairi said sarcastically but smiled nonetheless.

"Well, this part isn't the greatest but, I've got pretty good company. I think I would have died already if I'd been stuck with Selphie. Sorry but your friend's a bit…"

"… Overbearing?"

"Yeah." Sora chuckled.

"Yeah she can be like that."

"You know, she tricked you into coming." Kairi mentioned some minutes later, staring at the ceiling.

"How so?"

Kairi smirked, looking at the brunette. "Her parents are dentists, she doesn't go to 'Dr. Sherman.'"

Sora groaned, slapping himself on the forehead while Kairi snickered beside him.

"Guess she got me then." He commented, "But why? Why'd she want me to go?"

Kairi shrugged pretending not to know, not wanting to open that can of worms.

"I don't know." She said, looking thoughtful until a sly smile came to her face, "Maybe she likes you!"

Sora instantly paled, "Are you serious?"

Kairi nearly double over laughing at the look on his face.

She shook her head, "No, she likes Tidus."

Sora's eyes bugged out, "_Tidus_? Tidus Brooks? You're joking right? Why would anyone like him? He's not exactly the brightest bulb in the pack…"

Kairi chuckled, "Well, looks matter a lot to Selphie and apparently, she finds Tidus unbelievable attractive. You're a close second though."

"Oh God, _Tidus_." Sora muttered, a dazed look on his face.

Kairi nodded, "Tell me about it. At least you don't have to listen to her go on and on about him."

Sora nodded sympathetically, that would be tough to listen to. Tidus was a nice guy, just not that smart.

They sat in a comfortable silence on a cushion clad bench inside the theater. They listened on as a group of younger, rowdy teenagers walked part them, excited from the movie they had just seen. They heard the faint murmurs on the employees at the counter, talking to one another to pass the time.

Kairi stared out the nearby windows, fingers playing with the loose strings from the edge of the cushion. She tried Selphie once again, groaning when she heard the voicemail. It had been nearly ninety minutes since the movie had ended and Kairi was done playing games. She didn't understand why Selphie just wouldn't let this go. She didn't like Sora. Not in that way. He was starting to come around, he really seemed like he wanted to be friends… everything was good. Selphie's insistent pushing of the idea of them being a couple was grating heavily on her nerves. Why wouldn't she just let it go? She didn't like Daniels and never would, why couldn't Selphie just understand and accept that?

Although, the evening had gone pretty well with Sora, she just had better things she'd like to do and other people she'd like to hang out with other than him. And Selphie trying to set them up was not her idea of fun. She sincerely hoped this night wouldn't give Sora any ideas. Kairi supposed that's what she was worried most about, Sora thinking this was more than what it was. She shivered, thinking of the ramifications tonight _could_ bring. School would become a horror again and he'd once again be a nuisance.

They were friends, if even that, and nothing more.

Sora took an occasional glance at the redhead beside him as she absentmindedly played with the frayed bench, staring out the window. He felt a bit bad. Why would her friend just leave her at the theater like this? He gets that maybe she didn't feel well but to just leave them at the theater hours after the movie had ended? She knew they were here, waiting for her, and what was up with not answering her phone? She looked like the type of girl that would have it attached to her hip, never parting with it.

He watched as Kairi pulled open her phone once again, dialing her friend's number just to hang up moments later. Sora wondered if she was annoyed that she was left out here or that she was stuck with him? '_Probably a mixture of both.' _He decided. It hadn't been her idea to invite him to the movies, it had been Selphie's. But even though she hadn't invited him, he thought the night went rather well. They got along well. There wasn't any awkwardness, at least, not on his part. They had even joked around a bit.

He looked on as Kairi sighed, running a hand through her hair. He cursed himself for the second time tonight, saying they'd be strictly friends as he caught a faint whiff of her lingering perfume. He knew right now that dating each other would have been a complete waste though. They would have broken up by now with their lack of conversation at times, but it was a start. As they got to know one another, maybe then it would be more possible.

Until then, he'd have to take it one day at a time.

Both heads jerked up as a flash of light hit them through the window. They saw a black Mazda pull up to the curb, honking their horn.

The two jumped up before running out to the car.

"Hey guys." Selphie said, sitting behind the wheel. She sent her friend a wide smile but was confused when Kairi turned away from her, pretending she had not seen it. Sora wasn't all that receptive either, but he said a vague hello.

"Sorry we're late, Roxas' watch stopped working…"

"And your phone?" Kairi asked sarcastically. Her arms were crossed as she looked out the window.

"Oh, uh, my phone went dead. And you know Roxas, he always forgets to bring his phone with him."

Kairi looked over briefly to see the blonde staring at her, an apologetic look on his face.

'I'm sorry.' He mouthed to her, giving a small shrugged.

Kairi nodded, knowing it wasn't his idea or fault. He got shanghaied into it.

"So Sora, to your house?" Selphie asked, pulling out of the parking lot.

"Uh, actually just head to the Bonfire. My parents dropped me off and they're hanging out over there with a few of their friends."

"Alright." Selphie said before making her way to the restaurant.

"Thanks for the ride." Sora said to Selphie as he opened the door. He turned to Kairi and smiled, "Thanks for the movie, it was fun."

"Yeah it was. Thanks for the ice cream, I'll see you at school Monday."

Sora nodded and waved one last time before slamming the door shut and jogging inside the building.

"Now to the ferry, I'll take you guys all the way home."

They drove in silence, the radio playing faintly in the background.

"Well that was fun."

Kairi snorted behind her but it seemed to go unnoticed by Selphie.

"Did you have a good time Kairi?" She asked anxiously, looking at the unresponsive redhead in the rearview mirror.

"Kairi?"

"I don't think she's talking to you." Roxas replied.

"Why?"

"Why do you think Selphie? You just left her there with Sora. It was suppose to be a group thing, not some date. And you didn't show up until nearly two hours after the movie ended."

"What? I didn't feel well-"

"Cut the act Selphie, I know you left me there to 'bond' with Sora."

"Well, you had a good time didn't you?" Selphie exclaimed, dropping the act.

"Yes but that's not the point. I've asked you again and again to just drop the Sora thing but you won't. I can't stand it anymore." The redhead said, frustrated and irritated with the emerald eyed girl. She just wished Selphie would give her a break.

"Kairi, I just-"

"Selphie I'm just tired of you trying to set me up with him. You're my friend, you're suppose to listen to me but you're not." She leaned forward a stern expression on her face, "_I. Don't. Like. Him._ Why can't you just accept that and leave it alone? I don't care if you think we'd make 'an awesomely cute couple.' _I_ don't like him. So quit trying to set us up. It matters what I think about him and if _I'd_ want to date him, not you. I know in some weird way, you're just trying to help me and make me happy but _I _don't want it, you do."

With that she opened the car door, ignoring Selphie's protests.

"Bye Roxas, see you later." She said to her blonde haired friend before slamming the door shut and making her way onto the ferry alone.

--

**A/N:** Hello readers! Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Sorry I haven't updated in a while, I've been in a bit of a Harry Potter craze. Went to the midnight showing and every theater (about ten) was completely sold out. Anyone else a fan and saw the movie? I personally think it was pretty good. Some parts I didn't care for that much, but it was good nonetheless. My third favorite movie out of the series. The 5th one was horrible in my opinion and the 4th not much better. It was hilarious at a few parts, Daniel Radcliffe was funny along with Rupert Grint and the chick that played Lavender.

Anyways, please **review** and tell me what you thought of the chapter. Oh and to a few readers who have mentioned that there should be a Namine in the story… I can't say much but just wait and see.


	15. Take a Chance

**Chapter Fifteen: Take a Chance**

Kairi trudge up the pavement to the school as snow fell gently from the sky around her. The wind was crisp and cold, something the redhead didn't enjoy too terribly much. Pulling open the door, she stepped inside, stamping off the snow from her shoes. The weekend had been boring, having no one to hang out with. After the movie debacle, she wasn't talking to Selphie at the moment and Roxas had had a family thing going on Sunday. She would have normally hung out with her mother, but she had gotten stuck working all weekend and therefore, Kairi was by herself.

Selphie had tried to call of course, but Kairi wouldn't answer. She wasn't really mad at Selphie but she just wanted to teach her brunette friend a lesson. Selphie really needed to respect her more and listen.

Heading to her locker, she twisted the lock, opening the door and placing her books inside. Spotting her science folder, she gave it a tug, sending a bottle of pens and pencils to the floor, scattering about. Groaning, Kairi bent down, picking them up. She moved slowly, irritated by the simple accident; she was rather tired.

Kairi reached for a purple pen, surprised when another hand grabbed it first.

She looked up to see a pair of deep blue eyes shining at her. Sora was crouched down, giving her a pleasant smile.

"Thanks." She said, taking the pen from him.

"You're welcome. I figured I better help, you're causing a bit of a traffic jam behind you."

Kairi turned around and saw a number of students held up behind her, trying to get by.

The redhead blushed lightly, "Oh sorry." Kairi exclaimed, moving off to the side and standing up.

She brushed a strand of hair away from her face and sighed.

"You alright?" Sora asked, his brow furrowing in concern.

Kairi shook her head, "I'm fine. Just tired is all."

"Ah." Sora said, nodding understandingly. "Didn't grab your daily pick-me-up?"

Kairi gave him a rueful smile, "How'd you guess?"

Sora chuckled, "Well, don't worry. We're watching a video in science today. That should give you a good half an hour of sleep."

"I can't sleep during class." Kairi exclaimed, as though the idea was completely absurd.

"Why not? It's a high school experience. Everyone falls asleep in class at least once."

"Not me. I need to take notes incase it's on some sort of quiz. Plus, if we had a pop quiz afterwards, I'd be screwed."

Sora walked with her as she headed to class.

"Well, it's not like it would hurt _your_ GPA."

"Not the point. It wouldn't be a good habit to get into. School is a time for learning, not catching up on extra sleep. I can do that at home. Besides, I'm good." Kairi said, yawning the last part as she sat in her seat, stretching slightly.

Sora looked at her skeptically, eyes scanning from her disheveled hair to her mismatched socks, "You look it."

Kairi glared at him, "Thanks, just what ever girl wants to hear."

Sora flushed, "Sorry, just saying you look tired, which you are, so it's not really an insult is it?"

Kairi groaned, rubbing her temples, "It's too early for this."

Sora chuckled before standing up as he saw Selphie and Roxas walk into the room.

"Uh-oh. I better go." He pointed over his shoulder with his thumb, "Incoming. I don't want to get roped into something else. Or find out I share the same hairdresser as Selphie."

Kairi smirked lightly before giving him a wave as he walked to the back of the room, taking his seat.

She watched as Selphie came and sat at the desk across from her, while Roxas routinely took the one behind her.

"Hey Kairi." Selphie said cheerfully, smiling at the redhead.

"Hello." Kairi said curtly.

Emerald eyes looked at her strangely, "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine."

"You sure?" Selphie persisted, gazing at her friend. She looked rather irritable.

"Yep."

Mr. Hobart entered the room, switching off the light as he did so. He instructed the class to remain quiet as they watched a video before putting it in and walking to his desk, pulling out a stack of papers that needed grading.

Kairi rested her head in her hand, eyes locked on the TV. She blinked a few times as her eyelids grew heavy, adjusting in her seat. A few moments later, her head began to slowly droop, until she caught herself, jolting back up to face the screen, trying hard to stay awake.

"You ok Kairi?" Roxas whispered from behind her.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just tired is all." Kairi whispered back. She continued to stare at the TV as the man droned on, the surrounding darkness in the room a comforting embrace. Her head slowly fell to the table before she was out cold.

Kairi was fast asleep when she felt something sharp poke her back. She shifted, trying to avoid it. A second later, she felt it poke her sharper and she jerked awake, rubbing her back.

She looked up to see Mr. Hobart addressing the class, the light on and TV off.

'_Damn.'_ She thought to herself as panic began to rise in her chest. Why'd she have to fall asleep? What if there was a test?

A moment later, the bell rang, signaling class was over. She spun around to the blonde behind her.

"Did you take notes?"

He shook his head, "No not really. You're happy to take the ones I did though."

Kairi smiled gratefully, taking the notebook from him before frowning. There were three sentences and a doodle of some sort of creature attacking an airplane.

"Thanks anyways." She muttered, handing it back to him.

"You can borrow my notes Kairi." Selphie said, handing her notebook out to the redhead.

Kairi bit her lip. She needed the notes but didn't want to deal with Selphie at all. Besides, she really wasn't in the mood to sort through notes on the video and notes on Tidus.

"You know what? I'll go ask Pierce. He'll have taken good notes." She said to no one in particular before walking out the door.

Selphie looked to Roxas, confusion and sadness waging a war for dominance on her face.

"What's wrong with her? Why won't she talk to me?"

"Maybe because of what you did Saturday at the movie?" Roxas suggested, stretching as he rose from his chair.

"That? Why would she still be mad about that? I was just-"

"Trying to set her up with Sora, something she does not want." He replied, grabbing his books. "I think you probably need to apologize and promise her you'll lay off. That's most likely what she wants."

He walked out of the door and left Selphie alone to ponder her thoughts.

--

"Pierce, could I borrow your notes?" Kairi asked the sandy haired blonde in front of her.

He gave her a suspicious look, "Why?"

"Well, because I didn't take any."

He smiled slightly, giving her a bit of a smug look.

"That's really unfortunate… for you Kairi. As for me, well, it's a bit of an advantage and if I gave you my notes, I'd lose that." At Kairi's confused stare he continued, "I've been waiting years to be at the top of the class. I've beaten out every other student except you. So sorry, I really wish I could help, cause you're nice and all, but that would only hurt me."

Kairi sighed as she watched him walk away, running a hand through her hair.

She felt a presence beside her and turned around. Her eyes meet a notebook, with an untidy scrawl written across the page, held out in front of her face. She looked up to it's owner, seeing Sora.

"What's this?"

"Notes on the video. My best work, so don't lose them." At Kairi's blank stare he continued, "I saw you fall asleep and figured I'd take some notes and give them to you." He explained.

"Oh, thanks!" Kairi said appreciative, grabbing the notebook from him. She scanned them over, surprised. They were pretty thorough.

"No problem, but just try not to fall asleep in class again. Me taking notes is a one time thing. If anyone ever sees me do it again, it may ruin my rep." He joked lightly, giving her a brief smile. "Well I've got to get to class, see you later."

"See you Sora. And thanks again." She exclaimed, giving him an thankful smile. She watched as he waved back to her before turning and heading up the hall.

Kairi turned around as well, making her way to history.

--

The violet eyed teen slammed her locker shut after putting her books inside. She rested her forehead against the cool metal before closing her eyes tiredly. She didn't really feel like having lunch at the moment, maybe she'd just head to the library and take a quick nap. She could really use it.

"Kairi!" She turned and groaned to herself to see Selphie running up the hall after her. Kairi didn't feel like dealing with the brunette right now; she so wasn't in the mood.

"Kairi, hey." Selphie breathed, slightly out of breath, giving her a hesitant smile. "Look, I know you're mad at me but I'd like to make it up to you." She said in a rush, moving her hand from behind her back to reveal a large cup of coffee. "Class was canceled last period and I went out to get it for you. Looked like you could use a jolt."

Kairi stared at the drink longingly, before glancing up at Selphie.

"That's low Selph." Kairi nearly whined; she really wanted that drink.

"Look, I'm really sorry about the movie thing." Selphie began, looking down at the floor. "I just, you two would be so great together." She saw Kairi open her mouth no doubt in protest, so she hurried on. "But I know you don't like him so I'll lay off more. I can't promise to completely stop because I feel how I feel but I won't pull anything like that again." She peeked up at Kairi cautiously.

"Promise?" Kairi said, crossing her arms and giving her friend a dubious look.

"Promise." Selphie smiled. She held the coffee out as a peace offering.

Kairi stared at the brunette. After a few moments she uncrossed her arms, her hard demeanor vanishing. Giving Selphie a smile she took the cup from her hands, relishing at the warmth. "Thanks." Kairi said, nearly drooling at the smell. She took a long, slow swig and sighed in relief. "You got this from Marco's didn't you? Their coffee is the best. Well, except for Topher's."

"Yeah, I knew how much you liked it there." She paused as Kairi took another sip. "So you want to head to lunch? I hear they're serving burgers with the good fries today, not those soggy, limp ones."

Kairi shook her head, "Thanks but I really need to take a nap. I can't be like this the rest of the day. Forty minutes would do me a lot of good right now."

"Alright, I'll see you later."

Kairi nodded before turning around and walking towards the library.

Opening the door, she stepped onto the deep maroon carpet and scanned the room. The librarian's desk was off to the right, a few steps ahead of her. The left side of the room was open and shone brightly, the sun reflecting onto the tables scattered throughout the room. It was fairly empty, save for a few students cramming last minute for an upcoming test.

Kairi made her way forward but turned right as she passed the check out desk, making her way up the rows of bookshelves. She turned around the corner of a shelf, before backpedaling, a surprised look on her face. A couple stood in front of her, oblivious to her existence, arms wrapped around one another in a very intense kiss. Blushing brightly, Kairi quickly spun around and headed down a few more rows before turning into a vacant isle. She dropped her bag on the ground and sunk gratefully into the empty couch.

Shrugging off her jacket that was apart of her uniform, Kairi curling up on one end of the couch. She rested her head on her arm and covered herself up with the jacket, using it as a blanket. Thankfully the library was usually the warmest room in the school and the back isles were pretty dark. The library was so vast, no one would disturb her back her. Heaving a sigh, Kairi snuggled into the couch before closing her eyes. Her mind began to drift and she soon fell into a restful sleep, dreaming of a giant, mutated frog, the one that had fallen on Selphie, attacking the school in revenge.

--

Kairi leaned against her locker, rubbing her eyes sleepily. She was still tired but felt ten times better, she had really needed that nap.

"Kairi, Kairi!" She heard someone yell. The teen glanced up to see Selphie running towards her, Roxas walking more slowly behind. They both looked happy.

"Whoa, calm down there Selphie." Kairi said, watching as her friend tried to breathe.

"Guess what?"

"What?"

Selphie looked up to her, grinning widely. "We don't have school tomorrow!"

"What?" Kairi said, looking at Roxas for conformation.

"We're going-"

"We're going on a ski trip!" Selphie exclaimed, cutting Roxas off, throwing her hands excitedly in the air.

"What? Why?" Kairi said frowning. She'd rather just go to school.

"Our grade has the best scores on the island and the teachers wanted to reward us for it by taking us out for a free day." Roxas explained.

"This is sooo cool! We're going to have a blast!" Selphie yelled happily, clapping her hands. She gave her friend a wide, toothy grin, expecting her to join in on the excitement.

"Oh. Well, I don't think I'll be going."

"What? Why?" Selphie exclaimed, puzzled. "Kairi, we get a free day. Instead of studying and taking notes, listening to teachers drone on and on about boring subjects we care nothing about and quiet frankly are never going to need to know out there in the real world, we get to skip school and have fun!"

Kairi shrugged, "I don't mind school. Besides, I'm not the biggest on sports remember?"

"Skiing is not a sport."

"Yes it is."

"Well, yeah, for like old or uber rich people. Come on Kairi, you have to come." Selphie pleaded, grabbing her friend's arm in a begging manner.

Kairi shook her head, "Sorry Selphie but I'd rather just stay home. My mom has the day off tomorrow and I could hang out with her. We haven't spent time together in a while."

Selphie deflated, dejected. "Really?"

She gave Selphie an apologetic smile, "Sorry Selph but it's just not my thing."

The normally bubbly girl beside her sighed but nodded understandingly, "I know. It's ok."

"Well look at the bright side. You won't be alone. Roxas is going." Kairi offered, trying to cheer her up.

"That's true." Selphie rounded on Roxas, "We are _not_ going on those hard hills."

Roxas laughed, "Well you don't have to but I am. I love snowboarding down the wild ones."

Selphie put her hands on her hips, "Come on Roxas!"

Roxas shook his head, "No way. I'm not going down the _bunny hill _twenty times over with you. It's my free day too and I'll spend it how I please. You'll just have to work up the courage to go down the big slopes with me or ski on your own."

Selphie glared, "Yeah, well just remember that when I die. I went down those hills because of you so it's your fault. Let that weigh on your conscious."

Roxas batted her comment away as he leaned against the lockers.

"Hey!" Selphie said, a sly smile creeping onto her face, "You know, ski lifts are pretty romantic Roxas."

Roxas snorted, "To who?"

Selphie rolled her bright green eyes, "To everyone Roxas. It's a classic-" Roxas and Kairi shared a look. "-Maybe we could rig up you and Olette riding one at the same time. You two would be so cute together…"

"_No Selphie." _Roxas and Kairi said at the same time, each with a warning tone, "Did you not learn anything from trying that with Kairi?" Roxas continued, glaring at the brunette.

Selphie blushed, rubbing the back of her neck.

"Right, sorry."

--

"Mom, are you home?" Kairi yelled into the house, dropping her bag beside the door.

"Yeah, in the kitchen."

Kairi walked into the kitchen, greeted with a tantalizing smell.

"Mmm, what are you cooking?"

"My homemade chili, chicken noodle soup." Jayna said, stirring a large pot on the stove.

"Yum. Is it almost done?" Kairi asked eagerly.

"Yep, just a few more minutes." Her mother replied, dashing the soup with a little salt and pepper. "Why don't you set the table?"

"Alright." Kairi said, opening a cabinet and pulling out two glasses and bowls.

"How was your day?"

Kairi shrugged, unseen by her mother.

"Ok I guess."

Jayna looked up from her soup, twisting around to look at Kairi, concern on her face.

"What's wrong?"

Kairi shook her head, "Nothing, just tired was all. I fell asleep in science."

"Aw, Kairi. Did you get caught?"

"Nope, just didn't take notes."

"Sorry hon, but it's alright. Every high schooler falls asleep in class. It's like a tradition."

"That's exactly what Sora said."

"Sora?" Her mother repeated, surprised. "When did you talk to him?"

"Oh he took notes on the video and borrowed them to me." Kairi said casually, pulling open the silverware drawer before grabbing two spoons.

"Huh." Jayna replied, a sly smile on her face. "So when did he become Sora?"

Kairi looked up confused. "Umm, probably when he was born? That's his name Mom."

Jayna chuckled, "I know that. I mean, so he's Sora now? What happened to Daniels?"

"They're the same person. Sora, Daniels… same thing." Kairi explained slowly, staring at her mother strangely.

"Not when it's you. You always refer to him as Daniels."

Kairi frowned, "What's it matter? It's the same name. It's referring to the same person."

Jayna stared at her daughter, trying to fight down a smile. "You're right." She said, turning back to the food.

Kairi shrugged before sitting at the table, watching as her mother dished up their bowls.

"Alright." Jayna said, holding the steaming bowls of soup with two oven mitts on each hand. "Bon appetit!"

The two redheads dug into their food enthusiastically.

"Mom, I was thinking we could hang out and go to the mall tomorrow or something."

Jayna's head whipped up from the bowl, staring at Kairi in wide eyed shock.

"You want to skip school?" Jayna asked in disbelief.

Kairi glared at her mother.

"Funny."

"This is a big deal. I mean, alert the press kind of big. You've _never_ skipped school."

"You make me sound like a prude. I've skipped school before."

"You've _never_ skipped before." Jayna persisted. Suddenly her arm shot out towards Kairi as she placed her hand on her daughter's forehead, a worried look on her face. "Are you feeling alright?"

"Mom." Kairi groaned, batting her mother's hand away. "We don't have school tomorrow. It's a ski trip."

"Ohh. Wow, for a moment there, I was so proud of you."

Kairi looked at her indignantly, "Shouldn't you be proud I _do_ go to school? A lot of parents can't even get their kids to go."

Jayna quieted instantly, "You're right, I should be more grateful." Jayna pushed her joking attitude aside. "So you want to hit the mall instead of go skiing?"

"Of course. I don't like skiing, I'm not good at it."

Jayna frowned, "But you've never tried. You can't kick something you've never tried."

"Yeah I have."

"When?" Jayna said doubtfully.

"When I was eight." Kairi said obviously, taking a mouthful of soup.

Jayna looked away, thinking hard.

"I don't remember."

Kairi scoffed, "How could you not? Remember I was holding onto the rope that brought you up to the top of the bunny hill and I accidentally let go."

Jayna paused, the memory slowly coming to her before she suddenly burst out laughing.

"That was hilarious." She choked out between sets of laughter, clutching her stomach.

"Mom!" Kairi exclaimed, watching as her mother wiped a tear from her eye, "How on earth was that funny? It was a traumatizing experience."

"I'm sorry." Jayna said, breathing heavily, her laughing fit dying away, "But it was so funny. You just kind of let go and started skiing backwards down the hill, arms flailing in the air."

"It wasn't very funny to me or the man I hit." Kairi grumbled.

"Oh my God," Jayna said, eyes round as a spark of mirth shined in them once again. "I didn't even remember that part. Snowflake…" Jayna exclaimed in a new bout of laughter.

"Laugh it up." Kairi said, "I'll just go eat this in my room."

Jayna's hand grabbed her arm, pulling her back. "No wait, I'm sorry."

"Are you done now?"

"Yes." Jayna said seriously, slowly inhaling and exhaling to regain her breathing.

Kairi gauged her mother's sincerity before sitting back down.

A few moments later, Jayna spoke

"I think you should go."

"What? Why?"

Her mother took a spoonful of soup and cocked her head to the side.

"Well, because it could be fun."

"Fun?"

"Yeah, I mean, I know the last time wasn't the best for you but you're older now. You know not to let go of the rope." As Kairi opened her mouth she hurriedly continued, "You could have a great time with Selphie and Roxas."

Kairi shook her head in disagreement. "They both want to ski and they're both a bit athletic, at least Selphie is to a _certain_ extent. More so than me. I'd just end up sitting inside the lounge reading a book."

"Well that's alright. From my experience, ski lounges have the best food with a great atmosphere. And they're cozy. You could curl up by a fireplace in a comfy chair, eat your food, drink some hot chocolate and read. Sounds pretty good to me."

"Where is this advice coming from? When have you ever gone skiing?"

"With your dad when we were younger."

"Oh." Kairi said, going quiet. Reks was a sore subject in the house.

"Alright, well, maybe I'll go."

"Great. We'll go shopping this weekend ok?"

"Sure." She glanced down at her empty bowl, staring at it for a few moments, "I'm still really hungry.

"Me too." Jayna frowned, staring at her empty bowl as well. "Want to go down to Topher's?"

Kairi jumped up, "I'll drive."

--

Black boots splashed in the slushy snow on the ground, causing the redhead to look down in disgust. She shook her boot, watching as specs of water flew to the snow below, instantly turning into ice as it met the cutting air around it. Grabbing her mittens from the car, Kairi pulled them on, tucked her keys into her pocket and slammed the door before looking up across the street to the school. The bus was already parked in front for them, while students milled about, laughing and joking with one another, excitement clear in their expressions and actions. Kairi took a look around at the rest of the students, spotting a few envious stares from the ones who would remain at school. She caught a glimpse of Sora hanging out by his car, his friends circling around him. Kairi noticed Yuffie and a few other girls standing in their own circle by them, just waiting for a chance to pounce on the boy. The redhead scanned the crowd once again before finding her friends.

Jogging across the street she walked up behind them. Selphie wore a pink hat and her white coat with the fur around the hood. Her pink mittens matches her hat, and she wore a pair of furry black boots. Her arm was wrapped around a pair of pink skis as they stood on the ground beside her. The blonde beside her was sporting a stylish white and black ski jacket, a pair of tinted goggles atop his head. He wore black gloves, boots and some sort of snow pants that were slimmer than the kind you wore as a kid. His arm was wrapped around a dark blue snowboard that was tucked under his arm.

"Hey guys."

The pair quickly whipped around, both grinning as they saw her.

"Kairi!"

"Hey, what are you doing here?"

"We have a free ski day don't we? Figured I'd go."

"That's great!" Selphie exclaimed, looking around as if searching for something, "But where's your stuff?"

"Oh, well, I'm not going to actually ski." Kairi laughed lightly, staring slightly bewildered at her friend.

"Yeah cause that would be weird. To actually ski on the ski trip." Roxas joked sarcastically.

She gave Roxas a smirk before Selphie piped up.

"Then what are you going to do?"

Kairi held up a book.

"Of course, silly of me to ask." Selphie said, shaking her head.

"Only Kairi." Roxas laughed.

Kairi sent them a fake glare, "So I like reading."

"A little too much." Selphie replied. "You at least have to go on a few slopes."

"Uh, I wasn't exactly planning on it."

"Oh come on, you've got to Kairi, it'll be fun."

Kairi shook her head, "No. Besides, I didn't exactly bring the money with me to rent skis."

"I'll pay for it." The brown haired girl answered hopefully.

"Nope, thanks anyways Selphie." She said firmly, "We'll hang out when you come in to take breaks."

"That may be quite a bit." Roxas replied, staring up at the clouds. "It's pretty cold out today. Probably only last a few runs before having to come in and warm up."

"Cool, then we can all get something to eat."

Selphie sighed, "Alright. You sure you won't be lonely in there by yourself?"

Kairi didn't answer, merely held up her book.

Selphie nodded, "Ok."

A whistle blew to grab everyone's attention. Kairi's history teacher stood in the center of the pack of students, explaining the day to them.

"Alright, everyone pick a bus, put your stuff underneath and get on. At least two to a seat. Let's go!"

The teens packed onto the second bus, which was less crowded than the first. They made their way to the middle before sitting down and talking all the way to the lodge.

"Awesome, it's practically empty." Roxas said, face pressed up against the window.

"Ew, Roxas don't touch the bus window, especially with your face. Do you have any idea how many kids have probably sneezed on that?"

Roxas pulled away with a sickened look on his face.

"I do now." He replied, wiping at his face with his gloved hand.

"Here." Selphie said, reaching into her pocket and pulling out a small bottle of hand sanitizer. She pulled off his glove before dobbing some onto his palm.

"You carry that thing around with you?" Roxas asked, looking at her oddly.

"Yup."

"Freak."

Selphie shrugged, "What can I say? The world is filled with germs and _I_ for one, don't want to catch anything weird."

They got off the bus some minutes later, having had to wait for the dawdling students before them to get off. They walked carefully up the semi-paved path to the building before them, all three of them slipping along the way. The class jammed into the entrance, waiting in line for their passes before spreading out, most students spilling out the back to get to the chairlifts first.

"Alright, see you later Kairi." Roxas said eagerly, already heading out the back door.

"Bye."

Selphie looked at her, hesitantly taking a few steps to the back door to the slopes.

"You sure you don't want-"

"I'm sure Selphie. I'll be totally fine in here." She looked around and noticed only a few teacher were staying inside with two or three student already heading to the concession stand. Thankfully it would be quiet. She turned back to her friend. "You go ahead. I think I'll get some coffee and start reading. Thanks though."

Selphie smiled, "Anytime. See you later." Kairi watched as she headed outside, looking on through the window as Selphie met up with a few other people, heading to the ski lifts with them.

Kairi turned around and walked to the concession stand, getting her coffee. She then went to the far back corner of the room, near the fireplace, and pulled out a chair from under the table. Sitting down, she set her coffee on the table before her and opened her book to read.

--

"That was so awesome." Hayner said, pushing the door open to the building. Sora and Riku came in behind him, while Tidus brought up the rear.

"Yeah Sora, you're like, the king of snowboarding."

Sora merely smirked, leaning his board against the nearby wall as the group sat down at a table.

"Yeah, I mean, you got so much air and to be able to stick a landing like that…" Hayner trailed off, shaking his head in wonder. The guy was good at everything.

"Thank you, thank you." Sora joked, standing up quickly to give an exaggerated bow.

"We really need to hit that one slope again, the one where Hayner completely wiped out." Riku chuckled, "I want to see it again."

The blonde beside him flushed red, scratching behind his ear in embarrassment.

"That totally wasn't funny."

"Sure as hell was." Sora said, laughing along with Riku and Tidus.

"Hey, I could have broken a rib or something!"

"But you didn't, so we can laugh all we want." The silver haired teen replied, "So let's hurry up and get something to drink so we can head back out there."

Tidus and Riku headed up to the concession stand, appearing a few minutes later with cups of hot chocolate. The group sat laughing and joking for several minutes as they drained their drinks quickly.

"Ready to head back out there? The slopes will probably start picking up now. People have been practicing for a while and will probably be a bit braver soon. It'll get more crowded." Tidus asked.

"Yeah let's go." Riku said, standing up. He turned to Sora, slapping his friend's arm as the brunette stared at the corner of the room. "Dude, you coming?"

"Uh…" Sora exclaimed distractedly. He cocked his head to the side, staring at the red haired girl across the room. "You know what? You guys go ahead." He said, standing up, still not looking at his friend. "I've got something else to do."

Riku and Hayner shared a look as they watched Sora walk over to the opposite side of the room.

Riku smirked as he realized who was in the corner.

"Come on, let's go."

"Well what about Sora? He's gotta come with us." Hayner complained.

"He's got something better to do."

Hayner's forehead scrunched in confusion. "What?"

Riku paused by the door, gesturing with his head to Sora and Kairi in the corner of the room.

Hayner turned towards the pair, still confused. "What?"

Rolling his eyes, Riku pushed the blonde out the door. "Nothing, let's just get going. Like Tidus said, the slopes are going to start to pick up soon, we've got to hurry. Wouldn't want other people to see you embarrass yourself again now would you?"

Sora walked hesitantly up to the girl before him. He watched a few feet away as she reached absentmindedly out to her coffee before taking a sip and setting it back down. She flipped the page as he took a large step close. She was so immersed in her book she didn't notice him standing there.

He peeked at the cover of what she was reading and smiled.

"That's a good book."

Startled, the redhead looked up, surprised to see Sora standing there. He wore a deep blue sweater that brought out the color of his eyes and his chocolate brown hair. His black snow pants were a lot like Roxas' but most likely much more expensive. He wore a friendly smile as he stuck his hands into his pockets.

"You've read this?" Kairi asked, holding up a copy of the Martian Chronicles.

"Yeah."

"For school?"

"Nope, found it at the library once when looking for a good book to read. It looked interesting, so I thought I'd give it a try." He looked quizzically at the girl before him, "You seem surprised."

"Oh, I just never pegged you as a reader." Kairi explained, placing a finger in the book to mark her spot as she closed it halfway.

Sora smiled and shrugged, "Well, there's a lot of things you don't know about me."

Kairi smiled back, "Guess so."

After a small lapse in the conversation, Sora continued, "What part are you at?"

"Oh, uh," Kairi looked down quickly at the text, "The party at the mansion."

"Ah," Sora smirked, "My favorite story in there, really weird."

"Same here, I love this part. Although, the beginning when the astronaut realized it wasn't really his home and they wanted to kill him was a bit creepy."

Sora frowned, "You've read it before?"

"Yeah."

"Oh," He looked at her rather confused, "Why are you reading it again then?"

Kairi shrugged, "Because it's a good book."

"Well, I can't argue with that." He replied, staring at the redhead. Silence descending on the pair as Sora rocked back and forth on his heels. "Do you mind if I join you?"

Kairi once again looked surprised but shook her head. "Uh… No, go ahead."

The teen moved her bag off the chair beside her for Sora to sit down. They shifted in their seats awkwardly, not knowing what to say to one another.

"So… why aren't you out there snowboarding with your friends?" Kairi asked conversationally.

"Oh, well, we came in to warm up a bit and then… I don't know. I saw you over here by yourself and thought I'd say hello. What about you? Why aren't you out there?"

Kairi laughed lightly, "Ah, skiing isn't really my thing."

"How come?"

"I'm not the biggest on sports." She admitted, giving him a half shrug.

"Ah, right. I forgot about that." Sora said, trying to hold back a grin.

"What do you mean?"

"Just remembering you last year in gym." He smirked lightly in a playful way, "You're right, it's not really your thing."

Kairi cringed, remembering some of the embarrassing things that had transpired.

"Yeah, well, I can thank my mother for that. She's a bit of a klutz too."

Sora looked out the window as another silence covered them, watching as a group of teens linking arms went down a hill at the same time, one of them tripping, causing the entire group to fall. He grinned as an idea suddenly came to him.

"Why don't you come out there with me?"

Kairi looked up from her book, "What?"

"Come out there with me. I can teach you how to snowboard." Sora suggested, looking at the girl across from him.

"Err… No thanks."

"Why not?"

"Because the last time I skied it wasn't exactly an enjoyable experience. I'd much rather stay in here and read. I'd end up breaking my arm out there or something. It's not worth the risk."

Sora chuckled, giving her a warm smile, "Don't worry. I wouldn't let anything happen to you." He said, trying to be comforting.

Kairi shook her head, returning to her book.

"Come on." Sora insisted, standing up from his chair, arm outstretched towards her. "Live a little."

Kairi glared half heartedly, "Just because I don't ski doesn't mean I don't 'live'."

Sora brushed off the comment, "I didn't mean it like that. I just meant, you read a lot. It might be nice to do something else for a change."

"I like to read." Kairi said defensively.

"I know." Sora said, staring at her. He paused for a moment, trying to think of a way to get her to go.

"What happened the last time you tried to ski?" Sora asked curiously.

"I kind of fell down the hill and tumbled into a mascot for the resort."

Sora bit his cheek, trying not to laugh. Why could he see that so vividly?

"How old were you?"

"Eight."

"Well, that was years ago. You're really going to pass up an awesome day just because of something that happened nine years ago?"

Kairi looked outside, watching her fellow classmates having a blast.

"Just go down one slope with me, then you can go back inside if you don't like it. Who knows… you might even have fun."

Kairi sighed, "Sora I just really don't want to. I don't even have any money to rent a board."

"Then I'll pay for you."

Kairi looked at him skeptically, "You'd pay for my rental so I can go down a hill just one time?"

"Sure."

Kairi shook her head, "That would be a waste of money-"

"So? It's my money to waste. Come on, face your fears."

"I'm not scared."

"Well then prove it. Go out there with me." Sora challenged.

The violet eyed teen sighed, running a frustrated hand through her hair.

"Why do you want me to go so bad?" She questioned, staring up at the brunette.

"Because it's fun and you're missing out on it. Everyone's out there, having a great time expect you." And that was the truth. He felt a bit bad that she sat inside the lounge, cooped up inside, even if it was her choice, while everyone else was outside having a great time. He thought if he could just get her to go out, he could make it so she had a good time. It was just an added bonus they'd spend time together.

"Sora I just really don't want to ski."

Sora smirked, "Well that's fine because technically, you'd be snowboarding."

Kairi rolled her eyes, opening back up her book.

"Come on." Sora persisted, looking at her expectantly. She glanced down at his waiting hand, biting her lip as a small silent war waged in her head. Should she go out there, with Sora of all people, and risk getting injured? Or play it safe as always?

--

**A/N:** Hey everyone! Thanks for all the reviews you've given me. Sorry for the wait (again) but I've got the next chapter completely done, so I'll update in a few days. No long wait, I promise. Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter and are enjoying the story so far. Make sure to r**eview**, and tell me what you think! I hope there aren't too many errors but it's getting late and I don't really feel like reading through it again so, hope it reads smoothly. I just wanted to finally post it for you guys.


	16. Vice Versa

**Chapter Sixteen: Vice Versa  
**

"I can't believe you talked me into this."

"Oh come on, it's not that bad." Sora said beside her.

"Right. I'm only fifty feet up in the air. One wrong move and I plummet to my death."

Sora laughed at her comment, watching as she clung to the side of the chairlift, hanging onto it for dear life.

"Nothing will happen to you. If anyone should be scared up here, it should be me."

"Why?" Kairi asked interestedly.

"Well when I was about seven, I went on a chairlift with my mom and dad for my first time skiing. I was sick of the bunny hill so they actually took me on a slope. Anyways, I got off the chairlift a _little_ too early and slid backwards down the hill until I fell over. Ended up breaking my leg."

Kairi stared at him, horrified.

"Why would you tell me that!"

"What?"

"I'm on a chairlift for the first time, and you put that comforting thought in my head!?"

Sora sent her an apologetic look, smiling at her sheepishly, "Sorry."

The pair sat in silence as they climber higher and higher up the hill, the wind cutting through them as they rose to the top of the slope, making them shiver. Although, Kairi was shaking for an entirely different reason.

"Alright, ready to jump off?" Sora asked as they neared the top of the hill.

"No." Kairi answered tight lipped, staring down past their feet to the steep slope below.

"Don't look down." Sora said, nudging Kairi slightly to break her concentration with the ground below. "Now you ready?"

"What if I fall?"

"You won't."

Sora scooted forward, seeing from the corner of his eye Kairi doing the same.

"Alright ready?"

"Yeah." He heard her squeaked out.

Sora grabbed her hand before hopping off the lift, pulling Kairi down with him. They slid away from the massing group of teens at the drop off before coming to an abrupt halt.

"See, that wasn't so bad." Sora said, looking at the redhead.

"Nope." Kairi replied, staring down at the ground.

Confused, Sora frowned. "What's wrong?"

He followed her line of sight and flushed as he saw their clasped hands. He immediately let go, as if her hand was on fire.

Sora shifted away slightly to give them some space and looked up to Kairi's finally raised face. Her cheeks were tinted pink, whether with embarrassment or cold, he wasn't sure.

Clearing his throat quickly, he straightened up. "Well, you ready then?"

Kairi shrugged, "Guess I've got no choice now, do I?"

"Nope." Sora replied, grinning.

He motioned for her to follow as he effortlessly made he way over to the top of, in his opinion, a rather timid slope. It would be a good practice run for her. He turned around and laughed out loud at the sight of the redhead, before sharply stopping. Kairi stood a few yards away, trying to hop her way over towards him.

"What are you doing?" He called out, staring at her amusedly.

Kairi looked up, glaring, "Well you haven't exactly taught me how to do this."

Sora chuckled before gliding over to her.

"You make it look so easy." The teen complained, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Because it is, you just have to get the hang of it. Here," He reached down to unbuckle one of her feet from the board. "Now just kind of glide over using your other foot to push you. Like a skateboard."

Kairi did as she was told, slowly and awkwardly made her way over to the top of the hill.

"We're going down _that?_" Kairi asked carefully, looking down the steep hill, following the trail as it curved around a bend of trees.

"Yep."

"I _so_ can't do that yet." She replied, backing away from the top.

"Sure you can, it's easy-"

"Easy for you maybe Sora, but this is my first time."

Sora paused, blushing from the _many_ implications of that statement, his mind drifting for a moment to a much different scene before him, with he and Kairi alone together. Cursing his hormonal teenage mind, Sora stopped mid thought. He respected her much more than to think like that.

He shook his head, trying to clear those thoughts. "Uh, well," Kairi looked at him strangely, causing him to snap fully out of it. "You just sort of glide down it and steer with your feet."

"That's all you've got to tell me? Just 'glide down it'?"

"You'll get the hang of it, you've just got to try."

Kairi turned away from him, staring down the long and winding slope. Taking a deep breath she put her foot back in the strap and, without a word, suddenly jumped down the hill. She went a good twenty feet before loosing her balance and falling flat on her face.

Sora quickly hustled down to the redhead, skidding to a halt beside her. He crouched down, helping her up as she spit some snow out of her mouth.

"You ok?"

"Yeah, peachy." She grumbled, using him to pull herself up and steady herself. She looked down the slope, realizing she hadn't even reached the trees yet. "This is hopeless, it's going to take forever."

Sora shook his head before giving her a supportive smile.

"Don't be so hard on yourself, you're doing fine. I'll go with you this time and try to help you if it looks like you're going to fall."

Kairi nodded before positioning herself up once again and heading down the hill.

The teen sped down the hill, gaining speed quickly with each passing second, her red head whipping in the cool wind behind her. She was quickly nearing the trees when she suddenly realized she didn't know how to turn. And unfortunately, dead ahead was a rather large tree trunk that would most likely do vast damage to her.

"How do I turn?" She yelled to Sora, who went at a slow, leisurely pace beside her.

"Just use your weight on your back foot and steer to the left. Lean back a bit to slow down if you feel uncomfortable."

Kairi awkwardly leaned backwards and tried to turn to the left but ended up toppling over. Sora was quickly at her side once again, helping her up.

"Damn trees." He heard her mumble quietly to herself before she got up once again and set off down the hill. Sora smiled at her determination before following behind her.

They spent the next thirty minutes trying to make their way down the hill, Kairi falling over here and there along the way. She finally got the hang of it about halfway down the slope, managing to keep her balance… for the most part.

"There you go." Sora yelled encouragingly, watching her slide down the hill. She wore a look of heavy concentration along with a mixture of excitement. Ahead was another batch of trees, separating the slope momentarily before it met again on the other side.

"Which way?" He heard Kairi shout.

"Left." He replied, moving to the side. He watched worriedly as she moved to the right.

"Kairi, I said left!" He yelled, waving his arms to get her attention. It was no use however as he saw her disappear behind the trees and it was too late for him to turn around. He crouched down and leaned forward, gaining speed to meet her quickly on the other side. The left side was a smooth, straight path to the bottom but the right, however, was the one filled with jumps. He sincerely hoped she'd make it through alright. Skidding to a halt as the trees ended, he looked up the other path, scanning for a mass of red hair.

He not seeing her up or down the hill, he quickly unbuckled his boots from the snowboard. Tucking the board under his arm, he ran speedily up the hill.

"Kairi!" Sora yelled, looking around for her. He passed a rather large bump and found her sprawled on the ground in front of it.

"Kairi!" His voice rang out again, racing over towards her.

"Ugh, that was awful." He heard Kairi groan as she struggled to get up.

"Are you alright?" Sora asked alarmed, kneeling down before her.

Kairi sat up rather dizzily before slowly trying to stand, clutching onto his arm for support.

"I think so, just a little dizzy."

"Anything hurt?"

Kairi hobbled up, favoring her left leg, "My ankle hurts a bit but it's fine."

Sora looked at her, worry shinning through his eyes. "You want me to get help? Maybe they can bring a snowmobile up here and help you down…"

"No, it's alright." She said, "I just need to sit for a minute."

Sora nodded and brought her over to the side near the trees, out of the way of the other skiers making their way down the jumps. He set her down gingerly on the ground, propping her up against a tree before unbuckling her boots from the board, setting her ankle free.

"I'm really sorry Kairi, I thought you heard me say left-"

"It's alright." She said, trying to calm the jittery brunette beside her. She honestly thought his concern was rather sweet, something in the past she never thought she'd use to describe Sora. "I'm fine and it's not your fault, I just didn't hear you. All I need is to take a quick break and I'll be fine."

"You sure?" He asked, upset with himself that he had caused her to get hurt.

"Yes, I'm fine."

The two sat in a comfortable silence for several minutes, while Sora snuck glances at her every so often.

"I'm _fine_ Sora, really." Kairi said insistently after noticing him looking at her for the fifth time.

"Alright." He said, looking down at his gloves, "Just tell me when you're ready to go down."

Kairi nodded before leaning back against the tree, closing her eyes to rest for a moment.

--

Selphie skidded to a halt beside Roxas.

"What are you doing?" She asked, pulling off her goggles, looking at him expectantly.

"Is that Kairi over there?" He asked, squinting off to the opposite line of trees, a small ways back up the slope.

Selphie's head whipped around as she stared up the hill towards two lone figures in the thick of the trees.

"Oh my gosh. It is Kairi! She's snowboarding!?" Selphie exclaimed, narrowing her eyes up at the pair. "Who's that she's with?"

"I don't know. Looks like some guy."

"A guy?" Selphie questioned excitedly, taking a few steps out from where Roxas stood, trying to get a better look. She narrowly avoided colliding with a few skiers in the process, who fell over trying to evade her. Although, Selphie was completely oblivious to the fact.

"It's Sora!" She gasped, hands flying to her mouth in shock.

"What? No way." Roxas replied, now stepping out beside Selphie to get a better look.

"It _is_ Sora! Oh my gosh, they're skiing together!" Selphie exclaimed, clapping her hands together excitedly. "Oh I knew they'd get together!"

"Now wait a minute Selphie. Just because they're skiing together doesn't mean they're a couple. Maybe they were skiing on their own and one spotted the other."

"Oh look at them, their so perfect together! Don't they just look so cute Roxas?" Selphie gushed, giving the blonde the impression she had not heard a word he had just said.

Roxas shook his head, "Better not let Kairi hear you talking like that Selphie."

Selphie turned to glare at him, "I'm not stupid Roxas." She twisted back around, cocking her head to the side as she studied the couple. "Do you think they're together?"

"No."

Selphie rolled her eyes at his blunt answer. "Come on, let's go check it out!"

"What? Why?" Roxas asked alarmed, as Selphie went to take off her skis.

"To see what's up."

"But…" Roxas spluttered, "Maybe they don't want to be disturbed."

"Well if they aren't a couple, they wouldn't mind being disturbed right? Cause there wouldn't be anything to disturb?"

"Selphie, you're being too nosy. Just butt out."

"Roxas, there's no harm in going up to say hello to my friend and her potential boyfriend." Selphie replied exasperated. "You coming or not?"

Roxas sighed before following Selphie up the hill.

"Hey guys!" Selphie yelled to the pair, waving energetically up to them.

"Uh-oh." Sora exclaimed, "What do we do?"

"Stay completely still, maybe she won't see us." Kairi joked, before rolling her eyes at Sora's behavior. "You're still scared of her?"

"No, not scared." Sora said, "She's just kind of intense."

Kairi shook her head at his behavior before waving back at Selphie. She sincerely hoped the girl wouldn't make a big deal out of her and Sora skiing together. Kairi had just figured since she and Sora were getting along, she might as well take up his offer and try skiing again… face her fears, have some fun. And making good with Sora in the process. It didn't mean some lifelong commitment to the boy beside her.

"Hey guys." Selphie repeated once again, smiling at the pair. "Kairi what are you doing out here?"

"Oh, well, Sora talked me into trying to snowboard. Although, right now, I have no idea why I even agreed."

"Because of my excellent persuasive skills." Sora commented, a wide, playfully cocky grin on his face.

"Right." Kairi mocked, shaking her head but smiling nonetheless.

"So why are you sitting over here?" Roxas asked.

"Just resting. I sort of fell when going off the jumps," Kairi said, pointing at the rather large one a little ways up the hill, "Sora came and brought me over here to take a breather."

"Are you hurt?" Roxas asked concerned, looking Kairi over.

Sora looked on as Kairi smiled at the blonde, a tight, anxious feeling forming in his stomach.

"No, but I'm going to be sore tomorrow."

Sora laughed at that, "You have fallen quite a few times."

Kairi turned, feigning an angry look.

"With no help from you."

Selphie stared back and forth between the pair as they interacted with each other, a small grin forming on her lips. "Well, we'll just get out of your way. I've got a few more slopes I want to go down before we leave. You two have fun." She said, waving at them before grabbing onto Roxas' arm. "Come on Roxas."

The blonde waved to Kairi and Sora once more before being whipped around by his brown haired friend.

"Phew," Sora said, leaning back against a tree, pretending to wipe sweat from his brow. "Came out of that unscathed. That was close."

Kairi chuckled, "You are _so_ scared of her." She placed her hand on a small tree branch, gripping tightly before slowly pulling herself up. "I think I'm ready to head back down, I could really use some coffee."

"Mind if I join you?" Sora asked politely, standing up also. He didn't want to intrude and ruin what they had going on today, but he was having such a great time just being around her, he didn't want it to end. "I could use something to warm me up."

"Sure, if you want to." Kairi said, buckling her boots back into her board. "Ready?"

"Whenever you are."

Nodding, Kairi jumped onto the slope, avoiding the jumps as she slid down the hill. Sora was right beside her, checking her every so often to make sure she wasn't going to hurt herself.

"What do you keep looking at me for?" Kairi yelled to him over the noise of the wind in her ears.

"Just making sure you don't trip. Wouldn't want you to get hurt again. You may not know this, but you're a bit of a klutz out here."

Kairi turned her head to him, prepared to glare at his grinning face before she suddenly skidded to a stop, rather well, which surprised and impressed Sora; her hands shooting up to cover her gasping mouth.

"Sora look out!"

Sora quickly whipped his head back around, but it was too late. He ran smack into a large snowman someone had built at the end of the slope. He tumbled over, crashing to the ground in a heap of snow and tangled limbs.

Kairi quickly snapped off her board, jogging over to him.

"Are you ok?"

Sora placed his arms on the ground, pushing himself up while shaking the snow off his hair.

"Yeah, I'm fine." He said, face bright red from embarrassment. He couldn't believe he'd just done that, in front of Kairi no less.

Sora picked himself up, emptying the snow from his gloves. He avoided her gaze until he heard a noise and looked up. Kairi fell to the ground, holding her stomach in laughter.

"What's so funny?" Sora exclaimed indignantly.

"That was hilarious." Kairi groaned out, falling back onto the snow laughing.

Sora glared but the look quickly vanished, a chuckle escaping from his lips. Kairi's cheeks were flushed with laughter, a huge smile gracing her lips. He smiled as he watched her laugh, glad she was finally having a good time. Even if it was at his expense.

"You think that was funny?" He growled, eyes narrowing jokingly at the redhead. His lip twitch slightly as he tried to hold back his laughter.

Kairi smirked, "Who's the klutz now?"

Sora scoffed, "Hey, I wiped out _once_ because some idiot built a huge snowman at the end of the slope. _You're_ the one who's wiped out… how many times? Fourteen, fifteen?"

Kairi got up, brushing the snow off herself, "But it's my first time snowboarding. You're the one that's suppose to be the master at it. At least, that's what you were bowing for earlier wasn't it? Hayner calling you the king and all?"

"You were watching me?" Sora asked, a surprised but pleased smile on his face.

He could have sworn he saw Kairi blush before she looked away; but then again, maybe it was just him. "I was looking to see who was making all the racket. Although I didn't need to, I should have know it was you."

"It's alright to admit it Kairi, you..."

"Don't even go there." Kairi warned, point a threatening finger at him. Sora raised his hands in surrender, backing up slightly. Rolling her eyes, Kairi shook her head. "Let's go inside, it's freezing out here."

Kairi nearly bolted into the building, Sora in toe. She looked around the lounge, not at all surprised to see a large number of students hanging around the spacious room. Thankfully, her table by the fireplace was still unoccupied.

"You want something to drink?" Kairi asked Sora, who was busy pounding the snow off his boots.

"Uh, sure." He dug in his pocket for a second, "Let me give you some money…"

"Nope, my treat. You did rent my snowboard for me after all."

"Alright, thanks." Sora said, looking up at the girl, "I'll have a cup of hot coco."

"Ok, be right back. Grab that back table in the corner."

Sora nodded before making his way back to the table.

Kairi came over a few minutes later, setting his drink down in front of him. She sat down also, taking a sip from the hot coffee.

"Mmm. Now that's refreshing." Kairi said, melting into the chair.

"Yeah." Sora sighed, leaning back into his also.

Kairi took off her wet jacket and slung it over the back of her chair, which was conveniently facing the fireplace.

"So, did you overcome your fear of snowboarding?"

"Well considering I never had a fear of snowboarding in the first place, no." Kairi teased, grinning at him from over her coffee cup.

"Fine. Did you overcome your fear of rope pulls and chairlifts then?"

Kairi nodded, "Yeah, I think I did. Although, I'm still not a fan of heights."

"Well, I don't think anyone is really."

"Says the guy who shot off a huge jump and seemed to hang in the air in suspended animation, a good twenty feet off the ground."

"Hey you went off the jump too."

Kairi scoffed, "Yeah and preceded to fall face first on the ground moments later."

"At least you weren't scared enough to try it. Even if it was by accident. Don't you remember Stevens?"

Kairi laughed, "Poor guy. In an attempt to avoid a jump, he shot straight off the path and hurtled through the air into another slope."

"And still somehow managed to stick the landing."

The two trailed off into a easy silence, trying to warm up as best they could.

Sora put down his cup after draining the last of it. Leaning over, he snatched Kairi bag from off the floor and looked inside.

"Hey! What are you doing?" Kairi exclaimed, reaching over to pull it away from him.

Sora quickly took out the book, before handing her the bag.

"So you like sci-fi then?" He asked, holding the book up.

"Yeah." Kairi said, placing the bag on the floor next to her.

"Is it your favorite genre?"

The redhead shook her head, "No, I don't really have a favorite genre."

"Huh." Sora said, placing down the book on the table, "So what's your favorite book then?"

Kairi shrugged, "Don't have one. There are so many great books I've read, I can't choose just one."

Sora nodded before leaning his chair on its two back legs, kicking his feet up on the table.

"So besides reading, what else do you like to do?"

"I don't know. A bunch of stuff." At Sora's raised eyebrow, she continued, "Movies, hanging out with friends, shopping, video games…"

"You like video games?"

"Yeah."

"Like actual video games or the Mario games every girl seems to enjoy?"

"Just… video games. Surprised?"

Sora flushed, "Yeah, sorry, it's just… you don't run across many girls who actually _play_ video games. Most just complain that their boyfriends are playing them."

"I guess that's true, you hear certain girls complain about it enough. But it's not true for all girls. I love playing them actually."

"What kinds?"

"Um, anything. First person shooter, puzzle, racing. My favorite would have to be role playing games."

"Anything in particular?"

"The Final Fantasy games are great."

Sora nodded his head in agreement, "Yeah, those are probably my favorite too. How'd you get hooked on them? Your mom or dad play them a lot?"

Kairi shook her head, "No, my mom never plays video games. Unless they're the fun racing ones like you said."

"How'd you get hooked then?"

"Roxas and I played them a lot growing up."

"Oh." Sora exclaimed, going quiet for a moment as he rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably. He looked away from Kairi, the tension in his hesitant voice going unnoticed by the other teen, "You've know Roxas for a long time then?"

"Yeah, ever since kindergarten."

He looked down at his shoes, running his foot over a rather bald spot on the carpet.

"Have you guys ever…?"

Kairi looked at him confused, "Ever what?"

"You know, dated or anything?"

"Me and Roxas?" Sora looked up as he heard her laugh, watching as she shook her head. "No, no. Roxas and I are just friends. Best friends but nothing more than that. He's like a brother."

Relief flooded his body as he heard the absurdity in her voice at the idea. He had been worried there might have been something between them with how much they hung out.

"So you like all of those things and you hate sports?"

"I don't hate them per say. I'm just horrible at them. And they're kind of boring to watch."

"If you had to pick a favorite, what would it be?"

Kairi's forehead creased in thought, "I suppose if I _had_ to pick, it would be football."

Sora smirked, "Really? Cause I'm in it?" He teased lightly.

"_Right_. That's exactly why I've gone to all of your games." She joked.

"So then why football?"

Kairi smiled slightly in a reminiscing way. "I use to watch it with my dad when I was little."

"You don't anymore?"

"No." Kairi stated simply, looking away from him to stare unfocused out the window.

Sora frowned. Obviously he had hit a nerve. What was it with her dad? The subject had come up once before in another conversation he had had with Kairi and she had immediately closed up then too. He decided to just avoid the topic today. They had had an enjoyable day together, no need to ruin it now.

"What about you?" Kairi said a few minutes later, finally turning to look at him, "Have you always loved sports?"

"Yep. Been playing them since I was old enough to crawl. My dad's a major sports person, so I grew up with it."

"Did he pressure you to play? Or did you just end up loving it like him?"

"Just ended up loving it. My dad probably wouldn't have been thrilled if I wasn't in sports and would have rather joined, I don't know… dance." He paused for a moment as he heard Kairi laugh beside him, "But he would have still been supportive. Sports has only brought us together more, we're pretty close."

"What about your mom?"

Sora smiled, "My mom's great, supportive of whatever I want to do really. She not necessarily into regular sports, although she does like them. She's more of the rock climber, white water rafting sort. She use to do a ton of that when she was younger. She goes to every one of my games, is a fantastic cook, all my friends seem to like her. She's really involved in my life and is always just... there. Like any mom I guess. She's pretty cool."

Kairi smiled. She had no idea Sora was close to his parents. He seemed like the type who would be a bit rebellious and disconnected from them. It was nice to get a glimpse of a different side.

Sora got up to get them another round of drinks and as he came back, Kairi groaned, looking away from the open room.

"What?" Sora asked, looking around the room to see what had made her upset.

"Your girlfriend."

Confused, Sora looked around the room slowly, finally spotting Yuffie and her friends at a table a little ways from them. Yuffie was giving Kairi a rather hard death glare before straightening up as Sora looked at her, giving him a short wave and a flirtatious smile.

Sora quickly looked away and sat down, groaning himself.

"She's definitely not my girlfriend."

"You guys not dating anymore?"

"I told you we weren't remember? A while ago actually but I could have sworn I told you."

"Yeah but, you two are so on and off I figured…" Kairi trailed off, glancing over at the raven haired girl. She gave Kairi a chilly stare before turning her back to the redhead, chatting with her friends.

"Well, you figured wrong then. She's a bit too shallow for my taste."

"You seemed to like her for quite a while."

"Well, our relationship was mainly…

"Physical?" Kairi offered.

"Err yeah. And as horrible as this sounds, the more I got to know her, the more I didn't like her. So I've wised up a bit. I want something more than just... _that_."

Kairi nodded, "Good riddance, I'm sorry but you could do so much better."

"Yeah." Sora agreed quietly, gazing at Kairi rather pointedly but she didn't seem to notice.

"Alright everyone listen up." Came a shout from the other side of the room. The two teens turned to see their teacher standing in the middle of the room, staring at all the students. "Head out to the buses, we leave in ten minutes."

There was a collective groan from the class accompanied with sounds of chairs scratching against the floors as everyone got up. Sora and Kairi followed the crowd out of the lounge and to the buses. They both paused however as they stood beside their bus, students milling around them.

"I'm on this one." Kairi said, gesturing to the second bus.

"And I'm on this one." Sora replied, pointing to the first one. "Guess I'll see you later then."

"Yeah, see you later." Kairi said, waving goodbye.

Sora looked on as she took several steps away from him.

"Hey," Sora call out, jogging up to her and placing his hand on her arm to hold her back. "Thanks for hanging out today. I had a good time."

"Me too." Kairi said, giving him a warm smile. "I had a blast actually, it was pretty fun."

Sora grinned, "Well of course. It was _me_ you were hanging out with."

Kairi rolled her eyes in an irritated way but the effect was ruined by the slight tug at her lips.

"Oh of _course_." Kairi replied, "And I also have you to thank for all the bruises I'll have to ice tonight."

Sora held up his hands in a defensive manner, "Hey, I didn't _make_ you go out there…"

"No, of course not. You only got me out there with your great… what did you say earlier? Persuasive skills?"

Sora laughed before sobering quickly, "Sorry about you getting hurt by the way."

Kairi waved him off, "It's fine, I'm not really hurt anyways. Just banged up here and there but that's to be expected."

A whistle behind them blew from the teachers, signaling the kids to get on the buses.

"Well, see you at school tomorrow."

"Yeah, see you later Kairi." Sora said, watching her as she walked away and hopped onto the other bus. Thinking back, Sora could say this had definitely been the best day he'd ever spent with Kairi. They had gotten along, joked, and even laughed together… with no bloodshed. And if he could say so himself, after nearly two years of knowing her, he thought he could finally call Kairi his friend.

And vice versa.

--

**A/N:** Hello readers! So Sora and Kairi are finally friends! Only took sixteen chapters =P lol. Anyways, hope you liked the chapter and I'll update the next when I can. Thanks for the **reviews**, keep them coming.


	17. Friendly Banter

**Chapter Seventeen: Friendly Banter  
**

Kairi rushed through the doors of the school, hurrying as fast as she could. She was late…very late. First period started in two minutes and she still had to go to her locker. Nearly flying down the hall, Kairi took a last swig of her now cold coffee before throwing it into a nearby trash bin. Forgoing her locker, she skidded to a halt outside the classroom. Yanking the door open, Kairi sped to her chair, pulling out her books and a pencil. She crossed her legs nonchalantly, tucking her auburn hair behind her ear, trying to look as though she had been there all along.

"Relax, I just saw the old geezer down the hall flirting with Ms. Jacobs." Came a voice from behind her.

Kairi sighed in relief but shuddered at the news.

"He's nearly twice her age." Kairi said, her face scrunched up in disgust, "That's so wrong."

"Actually, he's only about fifty. So only twenty years older, not thirty."

"Oh sorry," Kairi said sarcastically, turning around to face her conversation partner, "My bad."

"You're forgiven." Sora smirked lightly, blue eyes twinkling with hidden mirth.

Kairi shook her head and smirked back playfully before turning around in her seat. A week had passed since the ski trip and Sora and her were still getting along great. Who knew a friendship between her and the jock would work out? She most certainly didn't. She was coming to actually even enjoy it. He made the day a bit more fun and school go by quicker. Maybe she had been wrong about him all this time; he was nothing like the perverted jerk he used to be. Maybe all it took was to give him a chance.

Both teens looked up to see Mr. Hobart enter the room, face slightly flushed.

"Do you think they made out?" Sora whispered to Kairi.

"Ugh," Kairi exclaimed, turning around to throw him an irritated look, "Thanks for the visual."

"No problem. Same one I had, just thought I'd share."

Kairi turned her head, looking at the older teacher messing with papers on his desk, "It's so creepy."

"Hey, who are we to judge? The heart knows no limits."

After a short pause as Kairi rummaged through her bag, Sora spoke up.

"So how was your weekend?"

Kairi shrugged, "Good I suppose. Just hung out with my mom. Went shopping with Selphie on Sunday."

Sora shivered involuntarily, "What a nightmare."

Kairi laughed, "Yeah a bit. She's very enthusiastic about her shopping. The worst part was waiting thirty minutes while she tried to decide between two different flavors of lip gloss."

Sora looked at her sympathetically, "You're kidding?"

Kairi shook her head, "Unfortunately, no. And I have no idea what the questioning was about. It was between watermelon punch or cucumber toffee."

"Which did she choose?"

"The second one."

Sora cringed, "Ew, why would anyone ever buy that? It would be gross to taste."

"Well you don't have to worry about that. Unless, you know, there's something you're not telling me about you and Selphie…?" Kairi suggested, arching her eyebrow.

Sora's face paled instantly, "Don't even put that thought in my head."

Kairi's smile widened, "Oh come on, she's not that bad. A number of guys in this school like her."

"Yeah, maybe, but I'm definitely not one of them. She's too high maintenance, and kind of pushy. But really, thanks for giving me that lovely thought. Now it's stuck in my head." Sora rubbed his face, smacking his forehead lightly, trying to rid himself of the images. "Get out, get out."

Kairi snorted, her blue eyes twinkling lightly, "It's call karma Sora. Payback for the visual you gave me earlier." She turned her attention back to her book, giving him a few moments to recover.

"Finally, they're gone. Don't ever bring that up again. _Please_."

"I won't." Kairi promised, looking up at him quickly from her book. "So how was _your_ weekend?"

Sora grinned, leaning forward excitedly on his desk. "Fantastic. Went to a football game with Riku and my dad."

Kairi shifted slightly, sitting sideways on the seat, leaning back against the bar that connected the desk to the chair.

"Did your team score a lot of goals?" She asked distractedly, flipping the page over.

The corner of Sora's lip turned up, watching her as her violet eyes scanned the page. "You mean touchdowns?"

Kairi looked up, giving him an apologetic look. "Sorry, touchdowns I mean."

Sora nodded, "Yeah, they won." He leaned back in his seat, crossing his hands behind his head, a dreamy expression on his face. "That would be so awesome to do."

"What's that?"

"To play football professionally."

Kairi glanced over at him, "That's what you want to do?"

Sora shrugged, but his smile was still intact, "Well maybe. It would be an awesome job. I'm not exactly banking on the fact though. It's a long shot. I at least want to play in college."

Surprised, Kairi gave him a questioning look, "You want to go to college?"

"Of course, why wouldn't I?"

Blushing, the redhead continued, "Sorry, I just thought, with the way you look at school… You just didn't seem like a college person."

Sora gave her a crooked smile, "I'm not a total dunce Kairi. When I do my work I'm actually quite good. Of course I want to go."

"Oh. Well, do you think you'll be able to play in college? The football teams there are quite competitive."

Sora crossed his arms, a smug expression coming to his face, "I've already got four offers on full scholarships to schools."

Impressed, Kairi gave him a warm smile, "Congratz. You're that good huh? So the hype about you around school isn't just talk?" She teased lightly at the end.

Sora smiled back, "Yeah I'm good. Best on the team personally."

Kairi rolled her eyes, "And so modest."

Sora threw her an indignant look, "Hey, I'm not cocky about it, just confident. When you're good, you're good. If you ever went to one of my games, you'd see it too."

"Well I'll have to get around to it." Kairi replied politely. In reality, even though they were getting along, she couldn't think of anything more boring than sitting around watching a bunch of macho guys run on a field and hit each other, merely tossing a ball back and forth. Especially if it was cold. She couldn't understand what people found enjoyable about it.

The brunette straightened in his chair, his attention solely on her.

"Really? You'd go to one of my games?"

"Yeah, sure." Kairi agreed, distracted once again by her book. Not fully realizing just what she was agreeing to.

A beaming smile emerged on Sora face, missed entirely by the reading redhead. He couldn't believe she'd go to one of his games. He'd always wanted her to, but, with her always hating him, she'd never done it. He sat back contently as Mr. Hobart finally called out to the class, quieting them down instantly.

"Alright class. Today will be the first set of presentations for your projects."

The students groaned.

"Enough of that. I've given you more than enough time to complete them. Three weeks worth of extensions to be exact. And still some of you get a lot more time. Giving your presentations is way over due. Besides, I'm only having the students who have said they're ready giving their presentations. So," He grabbed a piece of paper in front of him, before quickly putting on his glasses. Squinting at the letters on the page, he continued, "Today we'll be hearing from the following groups: Parker, Wilkins, and Fenton. You have five minutes to grab your projects." He then turned briskly to his desk and sat, arms crossed, waiting for the students to hurry. He had a rather heavy frown on his face, giving him more wrinkles than usual.

"Rejected."

"What?" Kairi asked, looking away from Roxas and Selphie in the back of the room as they got their project together.

"He got rejected by her."

"Who are you talking about?"

"Mr. Hobart. He had to of been rejected by Ms. Jacobs. The old guy must have actually asked her out, and she said no. Or at least found out she wasn't interested."

Confused, Kairi questioned, "How do you figure?"

"Because, look how crabby he is now. After a conversation with her no less. And when he walked in here, his face was totally red, which was probably from a rejected embarrassment which we mistook for, well, a him liking her type of embarrassment."

Kairi merely stared at Sora expressionlessly for a few long seconds before speaking up.

"You seriously need to get a life."

Sora glanced at her, "Why?"

"Because, you just did more analysis work on Mr. Hobart and Ms. Jacobs then you do on your biology work. That's saying something."

Sora gave her a sheepish grin, "Well, butting into people's lives is much more fascinating then studying some germ through a microscope or something."

Kairi just chuckled in amazement before a teasing grin began forming on her face.

"You're a little obsessed with the subject. If I didn't know any better Sora, I'd say you're a little _too_ interested in Mr. Hobart's romantic life."

Sora continued to stare fixatedly at Mr. Hobart before finally catching on to what Kairi was implying. He turned to look at her, frowning, before sticking out his tongue.

Kairi snickered, "Oh mature."

Sora smirked, his brown hair flopping in front of his eyes before he pushed it back, "I know, nice comeback huh?"

Kairi opened her mouth to speak but was interrupted when Mr. Hobart stood up, turning to the students getting ready in the back. "You're five minutes are up. Parker, get up here now." He barked.

The two watched as a skittish looking boy and a pretty raven haired girl walked up to the front of the class.

"He could use some good lovin'. That'd help him relax a bit." The brunette whispered behind her.

"Sora." Kairi admonished quietly, cringing at the mental images coming forth, "I told you not to do that again."

"What?" Sora replied innocently, "It's true. The guy could use to unwind a bit, get laid."

"Well I think trying to get laid is the problem, it's causing more stress."

Sora hid a smirk as Mr. Hobart looked over in their direction, before gesturing hurriedly with his hand to the two students to get on with their projects.

Some thirty minutes later, the students were found in various states of tiredness. A number of students were found doodling on their notebooks, while most had their heads down, having zoned out or even fallen asleep long ago. Only a select few were found paying rapt attention to the presenters as they explained their projects, honestly interested. As the last presenter was finishing their speech, Kairi was found flipping through the pages of a book, while Sora leaned on the front of his desk behind her, chin propped up by his hands. A look of boredom was splayed on both their faces.

"And that's it."

The class awoke from their collective haze as Mr. Hobart began clapping, the students slowly chiming in.

"That was awful." Sora whispered conversationally, rubbing his eyes to wake up.

Kairi's face twisted into a grimace, "Well, it wasn't exactly pleasant to listen to."

"That's putting it nicely, it was borderline painful. Who knew a person could go on talking about a potato for so long."

Kairi nodded her head in agreement as she closed her book, discreetly slipping it into her bag.

Mr. Hobart stood up once again, wiping his mouth quickly of foam from the drink he just took. "Thank you for those, err," He paused for a moment, looking at the students who had done their presentations, hopefully expressions on each one's face. "Good presentations." He continued, looking as if he'd thought they were rather painful also. He plucked a piece a paper off his desk, once again squinting at the names on the sheet. "Tomorrow, we'll be having Jenkins and Burke up to give their presentations. You can talk until the bell rings." With that he hustled into the back room that was his office, shutting the door.

"Good thing we don't go tomorrow, I'm not exactly done yet."

"Sora!" Kairi exclaimed alarmed, whipping around in her seat, "What do you mean you aren't done? If you're not done, that means _we're_ not done. I warned you not to screw this up…"

"Relax." Sora interjected, raising his hands to calm her. "I'm just about done. I mean, I am done but there are just a few kinks I have to work out yet. The colors on the lie detector are a bit messed up. I just need to do a little tweaking with the wires."

"You sure? Do you need any help with it to get it done?"

Sora shook his head, "Nope. I've got it all under control. Don't worry about it, we'll get a good grade. I'd be fine with sinking the ship, but I wouldn't take you down with me. I know how much you care about your grades."

Kairi let out a relieved sigh, "Why do you wait until the last minute?"

Sora gave a light grin, "What can I say? I'm a procrastinator. Last minute is when I do my best work. Or, well, no work at all. But this time I'll get it done."

Kairi gave him a dubious look, sighing in acceptance as he sent her a reassuring smile. She bent down, picking up her bag as the bell rang.

"If you need any help…"

"I know who to call." Sora smiled up at the redhead, "Don't worry about it. It'll get done. I'll show you the finished project when it is."

Kairi nodded before giving him a small smile.

"Well see you later, I have to head to history."

"See you later."

--

"Did you liked our presentation?" Roxas asked Kairi later on in the day. He stood leaning casually against the locker beside hers, bag slung over his left shoulder.

"Yeah, it was good. You'll definitely get a good grade."

Roxas nodded, "I hope so, it took such a long time to do. I can't believe I almost let Selphie talk me into doing what she wanted for the project. It would have been so bad."

Kairi looked at him curiously, "What did she want to do?"

Roxas cringed, "She wanted to do a test on what kind of nail polish was the best. What didn't wear out so quickly when put in different situations. Along with other beauty products.

"How did you manage to talk her out of doing that for the project? You know Selphie, once she get's an idea in her head, it's pretty hard to talk her out of it."

Roxas laughed, "Yeah I know. She came up with the idea when neither of us could think of one. She said since I didn't have any other bright ideas, we'd do that one. I fortunately came up with the one we did. She wanted to use me as a test dummy."

Kairi gave a snort of laughter, tucking her folder and notebook into her bag. She looked up at him, her violet eyes twinkling.

"What Roxas? You don't like getting your nails done?"

Roxas smirked, "Oh I love it Kairi. I can't think of a better way to waste time and money than to buy a bunch of beauty products or to sit in a nail salon for hours on end while people in a foreign language talk around me."

"Oh, I hate when that happens."

"Especially when you get the feeling they're talking about you." Came a feminine voice from behind them.

Roxas spun around to see who had spoke and flushed when he saw the pretty brunette, immediately looking down at his shoes.

"Hey Kairi."

"Oh, hey Olette." Kairi said, throwing the brunette a smile. She saw Roxas fidget from the corner of her eye.

"I was wondering if I could borrow your notes again for history. I missed school yesterday."

"Yeah sure." Kairi shuffled through her bag, pulling out a thick stack of notes.

"Wow, that's a lot of notes." Olette said apprehensively, grabbing the stack from the redhead.

"Yeah I know. He had us watch some video and do two chapters in the book."

Kairi looked to Roxas, catching his eye. As Olette turned to stuff the notes in her own bag, Kairi gestured her head to Olette, trying to get Roxas to talk to her. He shook his head sharply, blushing as his eyes met Olette's honey brown orbs for a split second, before quickly looking away.

"You missed school for your soccer match right?" Kairi asked conversationally, "How'd that go?"

"Great." Olette beamed, "We kicked their ass. Four-zilch."

"Congratulations."

"Thanks." Checking her watch, she looked back up at Kairi apologetically, "Sorry to cut it short, but I've got to take the math test I missed. Thanks for the notes."

"No problem, see you later Olette."

"Bye Kairi." Olette turned to walk away, twisting back around to give a short wave, "Bye Roxas."

Roxas stood frozen, staring gob smacked at the brunette's retreating form.

"Roxas?" Kairi questioned worriedly, waving a hand in front of her friend's face.

He flushed once again, swallowing thickly, before clearing his throat.

"So, ah, where were we?"

Kairi gave him a sly smile, "You still like her?"

Roxas' face turned scarlet, causing Kairi to bite back a laugh. He embarrassed too easily.

"What are you talking about?" Roxas questioned, desperately wishing his face wasn't red. He could feel the heat from his cheeks.

Kairi shook her head, grabbing onto Roxas' arm and pulling him with her.

"Nothing at all. Come on lover boy."

**--**

**A/N:** No, it's not a trick. I actually updated lol. I'm sorry for the long wait. It's just hard for me to write Kairi and Sora in the beginning of their friendship for some reason. So I get frustrated with story, which causes me to not want to write it. I hope I got it across ok, and it's different from how they acted in the beginning with one another, and how they were in their 'neutral' relationship for the past few chapters. Anyways, I'll try to update quickly this next time. Make sure to **review**! Happy Reading.


	18. School Friends

**Chapter Eighteen: School Friends  
**

Walking through the front door, Kairi sighed in relief as the warmth of the house enveloped her. Kicking off her wet shoes, she shrugged off her jacket, dropping her school bag on the floor. She reached down, picking up the grocery bag she had gotten from the store just minutes before. Last night they ate the last of their quality food, and with her mother swamped with work, she figured she'd better pick up the food, or else enjoy crackers and peanut butter for dinner. Not that it was a bad combination, she just didn't think it'd make an appropriate meal. Making her way into the kitchen, Kairi ran her fingers through her wet hair, trying to shake the water from it.

"Mom? You there?" Kairi asked, her voice traveling around the house. She stepped into the kitchen, suddenly reeling backwards in wide eyed shock at the sight before her.

Her mother and Topher sprung away from one another, only moments ago in a tight embrace. They both looked at the young teen, who stood staring at them open mouthed.

"I, err…" Topher muttered, blushing profusely, a rare sight. He looked back and forth between mother and daughter, running an embarrassed hand through his raven hair before quickly clearing his throat, "I'll see you both later."

Sneaking one last peak at Jayna, who was equally flushed, Topher shot out of the room, moving so quickly past Kairi her hair ruffled in the slight breeze.

A long silence descended upon the kitchen as Kairi stood staring at her mother, while Jayna did the complete opposite, looking anywhere but at her daughter.

As the shock slowly wore off, Kairi's face turned to an expression of expectance as she continued to gaze at her mother, amazed at what she had just witnessed.

"What was that?"

The older women blushed, brushing the hair away from her face.

"What?" She replied, turning around to fiddle with the silverware on the counter.

Kairi gaped, walking quickly over to her mother.

"What do you mean what? You and Topher!"

"Nothing, we were talking." Her mother replied coolly, clearly embarrassed at being caught. She avoided her daughter's gaze, separating the utensils into different piles.

"And talking involved having his tongue shoved down your throat?" Kairi asked, amused, while her mother's cheeks flamed red.

"His tongue was not down my throat Kairi. We were just talking."

"Ah ok, so it's a _new_ language then? Cause I've never seen two people talk that way. Because with your lips pressed together like that, it would be a bit hard. How do you communicate? Is it telepathically, with your lips being the connection or-"

Her mother turned around, trying hard to fight down the continuous blush on her face.

"Did you hear that? I think someone's at the door."

"Mom."

"I better go check it out." She tried to move quickly pass the younger girl, cursing when Kairi was too quick for her, shooting out her arm to block her path.

"Oh no you don't, you can't avoid this." She made her mother look at her, "You were kissing Topher!"

The redhead blushed, "We were not."

"You weren't?" Kairi asked skeptically, crossing her arms.

"For your information, we weren't."

"Right you were just talking."

"Yes."

"Huh," Kairi smirked, trying hard to hold back her laughter at her mother's embarrassment. It was about time the tables were turned. "Didn't look like talking from where I was standing."

"Well then we serious need to get your eyes checked Kairi. You know what? I'll go make the appointment right now." Jayna once again tried slipping past her daughter, only to be stopped once more.

"Mom, talk to me."

Jayna paused mid step, staring at the ground, her face hidden from view. Kairi watched as her shoulders sagged, hearing a rather heavy sigh escape her mother's mouth. Jayna turned around, defeated, and stared at her daughter.

"What?"

"You were kissing Topher." Kairi stated, trying to get her mother to admit it.

The older woman fought with herself for a moment, before trying to regain some of her dignity. She straightened up, looking Kairi square in the eye, her expression suddenly nonchalant.

"So?"

"_So_!?" Kairi exclaimed, staring at her mother in disbelief. "It's Topher!"

"I'm well aware it was Topher. I was the one kissing him after all." Her mother joked.

"Well…" Kairi said, at a loss for words. She followed her mother into the living room, sitting down beside her on the couch. After a few moments she spoke, "How was it?"

"Kairi!" Jayna said in a scandalized voice. The light smile on her face ruined the effect however.

"What? I'm just asking…"

"Well it was," She paused for a moment, a dreamy expression appearing on her face, "Fantastic."

"Ugh." Kairi exclaimed, turning away and giving an involuntary shiver.

"Ugh what? Topher's attractive."

"Mom! Please."

"What's wrong with saying that?" Jayna said indignantly, "He is."

"Nothing it's just… it's Topher. It's just weird." Neither said anything for a few moments as the information sunk in. "How did this happen?"

"Well…" Jayna said, a thoughtful expression on her face. "It just, sort of happened."

Kairi looked at her, silently telling her to elaborate.

"The car wouldn't start so he came over to help with it. We were in the process of looking for an extension cord so he could try to warm up the car, and we started fighting about all the lights I had on in the house. Why I don't know, so don't even ask." Jayna quickly added when Kairi opened her mouth to speak, "Anyways, the conversation kind of got heated and for some reason we were yelling at each other. Then suddenly we were kissing."

Kairi stared at her mother, eyebrow raised.

"That's it?"

"Well, yeah."

Baffled, Kairi threw her mother a strange look, "Who knew electricity was such a hot topic."

Jayna blushed, but rolled her eyes. She sat back on the couch with her daughter, both falling into a comfortable silence.

"So… Are you two dating?"

"I don't know." Jayna said, shrugging.

"You don't know? What do you mean? Isn't that something you _should_ know?"

"Well, you kind of interrupted us before we got to that part."

Kairi laughed, "Well sorry for coming home."

Jayna smirked, patting her daughter on the back, "You're forgiven."

"So, do you want to date him?" Kairi asked curiously.

"Truthfully? Yes. I've liked him for a long time, you know that. It was just… never the right time before."

"And now?"

"Well, it feels right now." Jayna confessed, a soft smile appearing on her face. She sat thinking for a moment before her face turned serious and she shook her head. "There's just a lot of things to consider first before jumping ahead with it."

"Like what? Topher likes you, you like Topher. What would there be to think about?"

"Lots of things. Our friendship for one. I've relied on it for so many years… If we date, and break up, it would totally ruin that."

Kairi nodded, "I agree with that worry. But on the other hand, what if it worked out? You could have a great guy that cared a lot about you. I think the risk is worth it. Just go slow. So next concern?"

"Well, I guess the only other thing would be, well… you."

"Me?" Kairi repeated confused, "What have I got to do with anything?"

"Come on Kairi, this would affect you a lot."

"How so?" Kairi asked, failing to see how it would.

"Well it's just always been the two of us, I've never really had too serious of a relationship with someone while you grew up. Topher would be over here a lot, hanging out with us. Your relationship with him would change from the one you have now. It wouldn't just be us anymore. And there would bound to be some awkward situations that arise. How would you feel about that?"

"I like Topher, Mom."

"I know you do, but this would be different. Tell me honestly."

Kairi shrugged, "I don't see any problem with it. I mean, maybe it would be a little weird at first, for all of us. But we'd get over it. _I'd_ get over it." She shifted on the couch, facing her mother completely. "Mom, you've sacrificed a lot for me over the years, I just want you to be happy. I'll get over any awkwardness if there is any."

Jayna smiled at her daughter, throwing an arm over her shoulder before bringing her into a side-arm hug.

"Thanks honey."

Kairi just smiled back, wrapping her own arm around her mother's shoulder.

"When do you think you'll talk to him?"

She felt her mother shrug, "I don't know, sooner rather than later I hope. Tomorrow maybe." She said, unwrapping her arm to reach for the remote on the table. She looked over at Kairi, smiling warmly. "Tonight, I think I'll just hang out with my daughter."

--

"How about Annika?"

"Nah, not really into blondes."

The teen beside him gave a snort, "Since when?"

"Since now." The blonde said, surveying the hall. His eyes landed on an attractive girl across the hall from him, his eyes scanning her body. "How about Aerith?"

"Yeah, like she'd go out with you. She's way out of your league man."

"Hardly, I could get her if I wanted." Hayner replied confidently, crossing his arms indignantly as he continued to stare at the brunette.

"By all means, if you want to embarrass the hell out of yourself, go for it."

Hayner turned to the silver haired teen beside him, throwing his friend a dirty look.

"How about Tifa?" Riku offered, mentioning the girl as she passed by.

Hayner's head turned to look at her as she walked, watching the sway of her hips. He stared for several more moments before heaving a sigh. "Nah, been there, done that."

He missed the roll of Riku's eyes at the comment, too busy checking out girls.

"Hey! How about Rinoa? I could totally get with her."

"She's friends with Yuffie."

"So?"

"So you'd never be able to date her." Riku said in an obvious manner.

"Why not?"

"Because they don't think much of you."

"Sure they do, we're friends. We've all hung out a ton of times together."

"No, they tolerate you. There's a difference."

Hayner scoffed, turning to face the silent figure beside them.

"What do you think Sora?"

No reply came from the spiky haired brunette. He was currently looking down the hall, watching as a younger freshman struggled to balance a tower of books. A senior Sora knew from the football team smack into the kid, causing both him and the books to fall to the floor. The jock just continued on, not having noticed, or not caring, about the mess he'd just caused. Sora felt slightly bad, wondering if he should go help the younger teen out. He remembered what it was like to be a freshman. Or at least, remembered what it was like for some of his friends. He was never treated poorly or ignored, having joined the varsity team in numerous sports in his first year at high school.

"Sora… Sora!" Hayner yelled, finally pushing the jock slightly.

"Huh? What?" Sora exclaimed, coming out of his trance. He had long ago tuned out his two friends, having been bored with the same old conversations day after day.

"Yuffie and Rinoa like me right? I mean, we've all hung out together loads of times."

"Uh… I really don't know Hayner." Sora replied, bored, scanning the hall once again for a distraction. He found one at the other end of the hall, a smile immediately appearing on his face at the sight of her.

Kairi was at her locker, getting ready for the day. She was once again accompanied by her friends, talking excitedly with them. Sora briefly wondered if they were ever apart. Nearly every time he spotted Kairi, her friends were close by. He watched her as she smiled widely, laughing at something Roxas had said. The voices of his friends tuned out completely as he continued to gaze at Kairi, noticing her hair somehow seemed a bit brighter today than usual. He loved her hair, especially the color of it. In his opinion, it was one of her best features, out of many. It was refreshing to him, whenever he thought about it, that she was so different from other girls in their grade. Nearly half the class, possibly a little less, had their hair dyed a hideous shade of bleached blonde, or jet black, or had some sort of ridiculous highlights in their hair, just because they were 'in' right now. Most also had the same straight hairstyle, bangs swept to the side. He would have never thought of the colors or styles negatively, if it weren't for nearly every girl in school having them. It was nice that Kairi wasn't one of the many, was strong and independent, having her own views, opinions, and styles. And it definitely worked out for her, she was incredibly hot.

"Sora? What's with you man, why won't you answer?"

"Sorry Hayner," Sora said, throwing his friend a brief apologetic smile, spotting Kairi bidding her friends a farewell as they went off to their respective lockers. "I've uh, got to go. See you both later." He clamped his hand on Hayner's shoulder for a moment in parting, before making his way off down the hall, not giving them a second thought.

"Stupid, freaking…" He heard a voice grumble as he got closer. Kairi was struggling with her locker, trying unsuccessfully to open the door. He smiled fondly at the cute, frustrated look emerging on her face. He stood unseen beside her as she huffed, trying to blow a few wisps of hair out of her face; her cheeks getting redder and redder as she battled with the door. He suddenly got the strong urge to pull her into his arms, calming her with a tender kiss. As he started to get absorbed in the mental image, he stopped, cursing himself briefly at being swept away once again within a five minute period. It wouldn't do him any good to think that way. They were friends, nothing more. At least for now.

"Need some help?"

Kairi glanced up, a relieved smile adorning her features. "Yeah, that'd be great." She stepped aside and gestured with her hand to the locker, letting him have a go.

Sora tugged at the lock for several minutes, not having any luck either. Thinking of what he did when his locker stuck, Sora tapped on the side of the locker, listening for a lighter spot.

"What are you doing?" Kairi asked curiously, watching as he pressed his ear to the locker. She smiled in amusement; he looked like an idiot.

"Shh… Hang on one second." He said quietly, before pulling back and swiftly bringing his fist up to the locker, hitting it hard.

"Sora wha-" Kairi began, but stopped as the locker sprang open. She moved forward to catch a few books that came tumbling out from the force of the hit, but Sora caught them swiftly in his hands.

"There you go." Sora said, pleased he had helped her. He bowed slightly as he moved out of the way, joking around with her.

Kairi laughed lightly, shaking her head at his antics. "Thanks Sora. How'd you know to hit it like that?"

He shrugged, leaning against the locker beside hers. "Happens with mine all the time. I see other kids doing it a lot too."

"You think they could replace the lockers in the school with the amount of money they receive throughout the year."

"Yeah I know, their priorities are a little messed up."

"Yep, solely focused on the sports teams." Kairi half-heartedly joked.

"Well, those deserve some money, don't you think?"

"Yeah, some, but not all. I know of a few things that could use the money too."

Sora nodded in agreement. The sports departments did get a lot of money throughout the year. And sometimes that money could have been better used elsewhere.

"So, what did you do yesterday?" Sora asked.

"Spent time with my mom. We figured we'd better get some more quality time in before it was shared."

"Shared?" Sora asked, puzzled. "What do you mean by that? Is your mom…" He trailed off, leaving the question hanging in the air.

"Is she what?" Kairi questioned, pulling out a crumpled piece of paper. She smoothed it out against the corner of her locker, staring at it intently as she tried to figure out what it was for.

"Well, you know." He continued, the color rising on his face.

Kairi stared at him with a frown for several moments, not understanding what he was getting at. Finally a light bulb went off in her head and she laughed loudly.

"Pregnant?"

At Sora's nod, she chuckled some more, shaking her head vigorously.

"No, no, no. It's nothing like that."

Sora gave her a sheepish look. "Well what did you mean then?"

"Well, my mom's going to start dating. At least, I think so."

"Oh, do you know the guy?"

A sly grin appeared on her face, but she quickly tried to hide it. She could have a little fun with this.

"Yeah, he's great. You know him too actually."

"I do?" Sora asked doubtfully. He and Kairi didn't have many people outside of school in common. "Who is it?"

"You mean you don't remember? You guys hit it off pretty well."

Sora racked his brain, but nothing came to mind. He ended up shrugging, having no idea who it was.

Kairi shook her head, "Wow, I'm surprised you don't remember. It's really going to crush him when I tell him. He thought you guys had _really_ bonded." She cocked her head to the side, pretending to come up with an idea, "You know what? You could come over and have dinner with us sometime. I know he'd be thrilled to have you over."

"Really?" Sora asked, surprised at the invite.

"Yeah, you could come over tonight actually."

"Err, alright." He said, smiling at the redhead, but still extremely confused.

"Great, I'll tell Topher your coming. What was it you ate last time? A burger? I'll tell him you want that again."

Sora's face instantly paled, "Topher?"

Kairi looked up innocently, "Yeah, you know, the guy at the restaurant we ate at together. You guys hit it off pretty well from what I remember."

Sora shifted awkwardly, a grimace appearing on his face. He did not want to see Topher again. He was sure the guy was out to get him.

"Uh, you know what Kairi? I think I actually have practice tonight."

"Can't you come afterwards?"

"Uh, no, it's running pretty late."

"Huh. You know, that's a real coincidence. A few moments ago you could go." She gave Sora a serious look, "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you don't like him. And I don't know why, he was so nice to you." She continued sarcastically, but the sarcasm went completely unnoticed by the brunette.

Sora gaped at her incredulously, "Nice to me? Kairi I'm surprised I didn't bleed to death with the daggers he was throwing at me. He didn't like me at all."

Kairi held her hands up in mock defense, trying to feign a look of surprise, "Whoa Sora, I'm shocked. Where's all this hostility coming from? He totally liked you."

"_What_?" Sora exclaimed, still staring at her in shock. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Topher did nothing but bark at him. There was no way the older man had even remotely liked him.

Her lips twitched lightly as she struggled to hold back her laughter. He was gaping at her in stunned speechlessness; the look was priceless. After several long seconds, she couldn't hold it in any longer.

"You should have seen your face." She snickered, clamping a hand over her mouth to muffle her laughter.

Confusion swept over him once again as he merely stared at the laughing redhead.

"What?"

"I was just joking Sora."

"You were?"

"Of course. I know how protective Topher was with me when you came over. Just thought I'd have a little fun."

Sora shot an irritated expression her way. "Funny."

She turned to him, grinning ear to ear. "I thought so."

His heart skipped a beat at her smile, but he plowed ahead, happy with their joking banter, "You know, it's really early. I'm just tired." He stated, trying to justify his reaction.

"Whatever you need to tell yourself." She smirked, hoisting her heavy bag over her shoulder. "We should get to class."

"Right." Sora said, following after her. After several seconds in silence, he asked, "So, your mom is or isn't dating Topher?"

"She is."

"How did it happen?"

Kairi laughed, "I sort of, walked in on them kissing."

Sora made a face, "Seriously? Sorry."

Kairi gave him a crooked grin, the mirth evident in her voice, "Yeah it was a little weird."

"Did they see you at all?"

"Yep. I've never seen two people fly away from one another faster."

"So how'd you find out that they're going to date?"

"My mom and I talk about everything. She was embarrassed, but once I worked her through that, we talked about the possibility of them getting together. She wanted to know my thoughts on the subject."

Sora side stepped a kissing couple in the middle of the hall, irritated at their interruption.

"And? How do you feel about it?"

The teen smiled, "Fantastic actually. My mom's always been taking care of me, and has never really done too many things for herself. I know she likes him a lot, and he likes her. So if she's happy, I'm happy."

Kairi pulled open the door and entered the science classroom but Sora held back for a moment, going slower. He leaned against the door frame for a moment, only moving to let other students into the room. His eyes trailed after her as she made her way towards Roxas and Selphie, talking animatedly with her two best friends. He couldn't wait till he could do that with Kairi, just spend time with her randomly, both at total ease. They were friends now, but, it was different than what she had with those two over there. They were school friends, which he should be thankful for; it was a vast improvement from what they use to be. But he couldn't help but want more. Not the relationship part yet, but he wanted to be better friends with her. It would be strange if he were to just randomly get together with her to hang out, or if he were to come sit down and talk to her outside of class. The only thing that would be different is her attitude towards him. She'd be nice but confused as to why he was there.

He figured if he wanted that, that close friendship which he's heard was a great base to start a relationship from, he'd have to pick it up a notch. Be a tiny bit more aggressive if he ever wanted to make any progress with her, and grow outside the label of 'school friends'.

--

The redhead blew into her hands, rubbing them together furiously in an attempt to warm herself up. She pushed open the door to Topher's, but only slightly, trying to avoid the bell. She attempted to quietly slip inside so as to not alert anyone to her presence.

Walking forward and plopping down on a stool, she swiveling back and forth for a moment, waiting for someone to show up. She spun around in the chair, glancing around for her mother, but coming up empty. She turned towards the kitchen, trying to peak inside, looking for any signs on the raven haired man. She heard the clanking of dishes and pots, the sound of running water, but received no visuals. Sighing when she realized she was just going to have to wait, she simply pulled out a book and began to read.

Two chapters later, the bell on the door rang. Kairi glanced over her shoulder to see her mother walk in, trying to warm herself the same way her daughter had only minutes before.

Hearing someone behind the counter, the teen whipped her head back around, seeing Topher emerge from the kitchen. He looked up, his eyes locking first with Jayna, causing a warm smile to appear on his face. It was short lived, however, as he spotted Kairi sitting at the counter. The teen raised an eyebrow, giving him an amused look at the sudden deer-caught-in-the-headlights expression on his face. Topher immediately looked away, embarrassed, busying himself with a customer at the other end of the room. She watched as he frequently looked up at her mother, trying to be sneaky, but failing miserably.

Kairi turned back around, finding Jayna still rooted to the spot, gazing over at Topher. At Kairi's polite, but mocking cough, her mother snapped out of it. Taking her time to pull off her gloves and come to the stool besides Kairi. She was stalling, no doubt.

As Jayna seated herself next to her daughter, she finally glanced over.

"What?"

"Well?"

Jayna looked back over at Topher, watching as he made his way into the kitchen, carrying multiple plates of empty food.

The second he disappeared into the kitchen, Jayna turned excitedly to Kairi, a glowing smile appearing on her face.

"Topher and I are officially dating."

Kairi beamed, pulling her mother into a tight hug.

"That's so great! What happened?"

"I came in earlier this morning to get breakfast. That was my excuse anyways, I was nervous so truthfully, eating was the last thing on my mind." At this Kairi grinned, motioning for her mother to hurry and continue. "Anyways, we just kind of stood there for a minute before he motioned me to follow him into the back."

"You went in the back?" Kairi asked distracted. She eagerly leaned forward, "What's it like back there?"

"You're more excited about finding out what the back room looks like more than what happened?"

"What? I'm just curious. I've never been back there before."

"That's so not the point right now." Jayna said, giving Kairi a look.

"Sorry, go ahead."

"Anyways, we went in the back and sat down, still in complete silence. A full ten minutes passed, with him frequently looking up and blushing, before he suddenly sighed, mumbling something like 'this is stupid' or whatever. So he looked at me, shrugged his shoulders and with this cute, crooked smile said, 'wanna date?'."

Kairi stared blankly.

"That's it?" She asked, clearly unimpressed.

"Well yeah."

"That's…" She thought for a moment, trying to find the right words. "So completely unromantic. After years of having this built up, that's so not the climax I was expecting."

A chuckled escaped her mother's lips, "I know, but it was so… I don't know." She shrugged, "It just fit. We didn't need some big, blown out gesture or… whatever. It was perfect for us."

"So… when's your first date?"

"This weekend." Jayna answered pleased, excitement seeping once again into her voice. Kairi smiled, glad her mom was happy.

"And he's taking you somewhere nice right? I mean, if his asking you out was anything to go by… I wouldn't necessarily expect much." She joked.

Jayna rolled her eyes, "Yes Kairi, I'm sure he's taking me out somewhere. We aren't just going to eat here."

Kairi opened her mouth to continue, but was cut off by Topher's sudden approach.

He smiled at the two of them, seemingly over his former embarrassment, before setting down two cups of coffee.

"You hungry?"

Jayna smiled, "Yeah, burger and fries please."

He looked questioningly at Kairi.

"Same thing."

He turned around, heading into the back to start on the burgers when he seemed to remember something.

"Did I leave my jacket at your place?" He asked Jayna, trying to sound as casual as possible. Kairi smirked at the attempt. He flew out of there so quickly last night he forgot.

"Oh yeah, you did." She said, jumping up from her chair.

Topher chuckled, "Well you don't need to go get it right now."

"No, I brought it with me. It's in the car." She threw on her jacket and headed to the door. "Be right back."

Topher stood next to Kairi, shifting frequently. From the corner of her eye, Kairi saw him fidgeting with his hands, finally stuffing them in his pockets.

"So you and my mom."

Topher looked up, giving her a slight smile. He shrugged, "Yeah, I guess."

Kairi nodded her head, looking around the restaurant as her fingers tapped against her coffee mug.

"Are you alright with that?"

Kairi glanced up, noticing a slightly worried expression on his face. She smiled to herself, touched that he wanted to make sure she was ok with it.

"Well it's already happened hasn't it?"

"Well, yeah. But, if you didn't… We wouldn't…"

"I think it's great." Kairi said, trying to ease his rising nerves.

"Really?"

"Yeah, about time really."

Topher smiled, resting his hand on her shoulder for a moment, giving it a light squeeze. "Thanks Kairi."

Violet eyes stared at him as she gave him a cheery smile.

"I'm really happy for you. Just one thing though Topher."

"What's that?"

Kairi frowned, trying to give him a threatening look, "Just don't hurt her. I'd really rather not have to beat you up."

Topher just chuckled, releasing her shoulder from his grasp.

"Deal."

--

**A/N:** Woo-hoo, an update!


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